Datascape Research and Consultancy Ltd conducted a baseline study of the “Community-Driven Approach to Promoting Religious Equality and Access to Justice” in Mithapukur, Pirganj, Kaonia, Gangachara, and Taraganj of the Rangpur District. Datascape wanted to assess the program’s execution and point up areas where Asia Foundation may make improvements.
The Asia Foundation is leading the effort, which aims to promote understanding of various points of view about disagreements, the root causes of breaches of religious freedom, and workable solutions.
The study followed Political Economy Analysis approach that consist of context analysis, stakeholder analysis, institutional analysis, power, and political analysis, and lastly policy analysis.
Political Economy Analysis:
Political economy is an interdisciplinary branch of the social sciences that focuses on the interrelationships of individuals, governments, and public policy.
The study typically involves examining how public policy, the political environment, and political institutions affect a country’s economic standing and future through a sociological, political, and economic lens.
Political Economy Analysis (PEA) is a set of concepts and tools that can help development practitioners better understand the political, economic and social processes promoting or blocking change.
Political Economy Analysis involves looking at the dynamic interaction between structures, institutions, and actors (stakeholders), to understand how decisions are made.
Structure: The more stable aspects of the context, such as global impacts, natural resource endowment, population transitions, historical legacies, social-cultural elements, and technological advancement, are called the structure.
Institutions: Institutions are the “rules of the game,” the regional laws, customs, and traditions that guide people’s actions. Both informal and formal institutions are significant. They are dynamic and frequently the subject of humanitarian efforts.
Actors: Individuals, groups, or coalitions from the public, corporate, or civil society sectors can all be actors. Over time, their networks, interests, and motives change. You could describe their actions as playing “games within the rules.
Identify the problem: A fish-shaped diagram is used in a problem-solving technique called a fishbone diagram to depict potential root causes of issues and troubleshoot potential remedies. It can be utilized to pinpoint the problems for Political Economic Analysis with causes and effects.
The study followed a mixed method and cross-sectional to ensure that the relevant influential group for the different religious communities was represented and interviewed. The structured interview schedule was used to get quantitative information from respondents. Focus group discussions (FGDs), Key informant interviews (KIIs), observation and PRA tools were used to gather qualitative information from the project intervention area.
Legal framework analysis: An effective enabling environment for cooperatives depends on the legal environment at the national and regional levels. While regulations that recognize cooperatives’ unique characteristics and guarantee a level playing field with other types of enterprise can support cooperatives, the absence of or a weak legal environment for cooperatives in a given territory may impede their development.
Collaboration with legal experts and human rights organizations to provide legal support to victims of religious violence and discrimination. Datscape also focuses on legal framework analysis to understand the root causes of the religious discrimination and violence.
Change of Pathways and Theory of Change: A theory of change is essentially an in-depth explanation and demonstration of how and why a desired change is anticipated to occur in an instance. Finding the path of changes and establish the relevant theory of changes are the final attempt of the Political Economy Analysis.
The study’s theory of change describes the tactical paths that the interventions will take to support and spark local change in the setting of Rangpur district. The report focuses on key areas and techniques in order to reduce religious violence and discrimination.