Search
Enlarge Text | Printable Version | Sitemap | Contact us
Research
Upcoming Events
Researcher Name: Julius Mugwagwa Affiliated Staff: Prof Joanna Chataway, Dr Peter Robbins and Dr James Smith Project Start Date: 01.10.2005 Project End Date: 30.09.2008 Contact Details: Here is a link to Julius Mugwagwa's profile page. Funder: Background: This study analysed existing and new impetus for cross-national regulatory systems for modern biotechnology sparked in southern Africa by the 2002/03 food aid crisis. The study examined the roles the African Union (AU), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), who, together with other regional and international bodies have initiated processes to assist the 14-country SADC region towards cross-national similarity or convergence of biosafety systems. This case study research was guided by the three factor conceptualisation of Per Olof Busch and Helge Jorgens (2005), which proposes harmonisation, diffusion and coercive imposition as three distinct international mechanisms causing policy change and policy convergence. Aims and Objectives: The over-arching question for this research was: whether, how and to what extent have the three supranational bodies (SADC, NEPAD and AU) contributed to cross-national convergence of biosafety regulatory systems in the SADC region? Among other targets, the research also hoped to fulfil the following: To contribute to knowledge and understanding of how ideas spread across nations and the extent to which national factors influence and refract cross-national pressures. To contribute to understanding and analysis of institutional and policy adjustment at national level, and the ways in which SNOs assist and influence these processes. To contribute to wider theoretical and empirical debates on regional integration in Africa and beyond. To contribute to analytical models of policy convergence through application and interrogation of the typology proposed by Busch and Jorgens (2005) Research Methods: The research was designed primarily as a case study of three organisations. The data collection methods were mainly use of a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and document review. However, as the research progressed, it emerged that close observation of the processes through interaction with the various policy communities would be more effective in understanding the different opinions and cognitions around biosafety broadly and convergence specifically. Thus, when the opportunity for an internship at NEPAD arose, it presented a golden opportunity to be close to the activities, at least within the NEPAD setting. The day-by-day interaction between NEPAD and the other two organisations was also observed from this vantage position. Key Findings: Different stakeholder understandings of convergence, and fluctuating motivations and fears regarding its emergence and implementation were observed. The processes towards a transnational framework were viewed as more important than the outputs thereof. Minimal, if any convergence had occurred in entire regulatory systems, or policies, while lower level targets such as policy scopes, objectives, institutional arrangements and regulations had converged to varying extents. The three SNOs had played different roles in this, singly or collectively, particularly via ideational and epistemic influence exerted through interplay between the three mechanisms proposed by Busch and Jorgens (2005), with diffusion of practices being most prominent. Therefore, and as observed by other researchers, the three mechanisms were not mutually exclusive, and their effect on spread of policies depended a lot on contextual factors within organisations, sectors, countries and the region. The thesis introduces the notion of layered convergence as one feasible outcome of the cross-national processes. Wider implications for policy: Among the policy implications are the following: That, countries, organisations and individuals learn from other countries through different ways, such as looking for outside examples as part of ideational debates; when seeking solutions to practical policy and institutional questions. Efficiency and legitimacy aspirations are some of the motivations behind the learning. Meanwhile, countries also look at other countries and the SNOs as competitors – for financial and ideational resources. Key ‘policy learners’ are existing domestic actors, notably government officials, civil society operatives and researchers in government and quasi-government organisations. That, by and large, cross-national ‘learning’ forms part of wider strategies to find new models of regulation to deal with pressing problems and to overcome strong opposition to change. Meanwhile, South Africa differs a lot from the other study countries over the sources from which it learns. SA looks mainly beyond the region and beyond the continent for lessons, and this is understandable given its level of development and use of the technology. The other countries meanwhile look up to SA, although they do not do this willingly because of lack of reciprocity. That, while in some cases over-shadowed by sovereignty and other contextual issues in countries, voluntary cross-national learning plays an important role in overcoming the effects of these different national settings. The learning is able to assist in overcoming the effects of diverse national settings and hence contributes to significant institutional change occurring in the regulatory systems for biosafety across the countries. That the three SNOs all clearly play some roles in imparting policy lessons, and facilitating cross-national policy convergence, and that there is potential for synergistic interactions among them, and this would lessen the potential for divisive impact on the limited stakeholder base in the countries and the region. The organisations have different levels of reach, mandate, influence, resource endowment, experience with regulation of the technology, among other factors, and these could be leveraged in the quest to create an effective cross-national learning environment. Project Update: Study completed, focus now is on writing and publishing papers and seeking funding for cross-sectoral and cross-ragional comparisons Publications: Mugwagwa J T (2008). Multiple understandings of cross-national policy convergence in southern Africa: implications for theory and practice. Innogen Working Paper Number 56 Mugwagwa JT (2009). Ever-changing policy context: the one stable threat to biotechnology governance in Africa, in Lyall C et al (ed). The Limits to governance: The challenge of policy-making for the new life sciences, Ashgate, United Kingdom. External Links: Julius is now working on a new Innogen workstream, Technologies for Health Systems Strengtehening (THeSyS) Further information:
Here is a link to Julius Mugwagwa's profile page.
This study analysed existing and new impetus for cross-national regulatory systems for modern biotechnology sparked in southern Africa by the 2002/03 food aid crisis.
The study examined the roles the African Union (AU), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), who, together with other regional and international bodies have initiated processes to assist the 14-country SADC region towards cross-national similarity or convergence of biosafety systems. This case study research was guided by the three factor conceptualisation of Per Olof Busch and Helge Jorgens (2005), which proposes harmonisation, diffusion and coercive imposition as three distinct international mechanisms causing policy change and policy convergence.
The over-arching question for this research was: whether, how and to what extent have the three supranational bodies (SADC, NEPAD and AU) contributed to cross-national convergence of biosafety regulatory systems in the SADC region?
Among other targets, the research also hoped to fulfil the following:
The research was designed primarily as a case study of three organisations. The data collection methods were mainly use of a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and document review. However, as the research progressed, it emerged that close observation of the processes through interaction with the various policy communities would be more effective in understanding the different opinions and cognitions around biosafety broadly and convergence specifically. Thus, when the opportunity for an internship at NEPAD arose, it presented a golden opportunity to be close to the activities, at least within the NEPAD setting. The day-by-day interaction between NEPAD and the other two organisations was also observed from this vantage position.
Different stakeholder understandings of convergence, and fluctuating motivations and fears regarding its emergence and implementation were observed. The processes towards a transnational framework were viewed as more important than the outputs thereof. Minimal, if any convergence had occurred in entire regulatory systems, or policies, while lower level targets such as policy scopes, objectives, institutional arrangements and regulations had converged to varying extents. The three SNOs had played different roles in this, singly or collectively, particularly via ideational and epistemic influence exerted through interplay between the three mechanisms proposed by Busch and Jorgens (2005), with diffusion of practices being most prominent.
Therefore, and as observed by other researchers, the three mechanisms were not mutually exclusive, and their effect on spread of policies depended a lot on contextual factors within organisations, sectors, countries and the region. The thesis introduces the notion of layered convergence as one feasible outcome of the cross-national processes.
Among the policy implications are the following:
Mugwagwa J T (2008). Multiple understandings of cross-national policy convergence in southern Africa: implications for theory and practice. Innogen Working Paper Number 56
Mugwagwa JT (2009). Ever-changing policy context: the one stable threat to biotechnology governance in Africa, in Lyall C et al (ed). The Limits to governance: The challenge of policy-making for the new life sciences, Ashgate, United Kingdom.
Julius is now working on a new Innogen workstream, Technologies for Health Systems Strengtehening (THeSyS)
