Actors and institutions analysis involves identifying the actors and institutions that are friends/enemies/neutral/not to be trusted, and analysing the reasons for their action or quietness.

Participatory tools for actors and institutions analysis

• Chapatti diagram - A chapatti diagram can be used to map the relationships between different actors and institutions and their relative power.
• Forcefield analysis - Forcefield analysis can be used to map actors, institutions and other factors that might help or hinder you in your work or in your progress towards a goal.
• Gatekeeper tool - A Gatekeeper tool can be used to identify actors and institutions who can help you access powerful people who you want to contact or negotiate with in connection with your advocacy or campaigning work, for example.

Some key questions for actors and institutions analysis

• Which actors and institutions are:
• friends of people living in poverty/excluded groups?
• enemies?
• neutral?
• potential allies for specific objectives?
• What are the interests, agendas and mandates of these actors and institutions?
• Which institutions and actors are duty bearers or have the power to advance respect for key rights? How are they connected from local to national and international levels? What have they done to date? What more could they do and what blocks them from doing more? How might we influence them?
• Are there differences within these institutions – progressive and regressive voices or forces – and can we exploit these to good effect?
• Are these institutions transparent – can we and others access information about them and their budgets, for example? What information do we need to advance the struggle for rights?
• What organisations are our allies in the struggle for rights and what support can they bring?
• What institutions and actors will actively seek to block change and what can be done to neutralise them?

References

• People’s Action in Practice, ActionAid International, 2012, p. 214.