65 Herman Brouwer, Wim Hiemstra and Pilly Martin
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Table 1: Research questions, action questions and tools
Research questions
Action questions
Tools
1. Who are the key actors involved? Understand
the different degrees of power among MSP actors, their
bases of power and the manner in which they use their
power.
1. Are these the right
actors? Do other actors
need to join the MSP?
Stakeholder analysis:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11
Power analysis:
6, 7
2. What are the interests/goals of the different
actors?
Actors have common longer-term objectives, but may
have different interests and inter-dependencies which
may be a source of conflict, strength or (in)
effectiveness.
2. How can common
interests be strengthened?
How can different interests
be overcome? What other
options are available?
Stakeholder analysis:
1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Power analysis:
6, 7, 8, 9, 10
3. How is the problem framed and by whom?
Actors in control of agenda-setting can exercise their
power. Participatory and empowerment tools are
needed to balance the level of influence of all actors in
the MSP.
3. What is needed to
strengthen the influence of
the least influential? How
can empowerment be
promoted?
Stakeholder analysis:
1, 2, 4, 9
Power analysis:
6, 8, 9, 10
4. What are actors’ key resources (e.g. material,
immaterial, political, economic, social,
institutional)?
How does control over resources affect each actor’s
ability to exercise influence?
4-5. How can interdependence at the level
of resource access and
control be realised?
Which capacities of
which actors need to be
strengthened?
Stakeholder analysis:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11
Power analysis:
6, 7
6. What are the decision-making rules?
Understand the institutional dimension of the MSP.
What are the rules? How and by whom are they set?
How are they enforced, arbitrated and sanctioned?
6. What are the constraints
in the decision-making
process? Can governance
agreements be changed?
Stakeholder analysis:
9
Power analysis:
1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10
7. To what extent are different interests reflected
in outcomes of decision-making?
The decisions taken are an expression of the results of
the power dynamics in the MSP.
7. How can decision-making
be organised such that all
actors benefit and see results
that meet their interests?
Stakeholder analysis:
3, 6
Power analysis:
8, 9, 10
5. What are the (resource) dependencies
between actors?
Different actors have different access and control over
resources that determine their influence and their
capacity to realise their interests.
facilities to ship the oil from a giant tanker
terminal, lay more than 1700km of new
highways and railways to South Sudan and
Ethiopia, and build three new airports and
tourist resorts in Lamu, Isiolo and at Lake
Turkana. It would also bring an estimated
1.2 million people to the area (an estimated
tenfold increase), giving rise to fears that
local cultures will be lost.
Different ethnic communities in Lamu
Stakeholder analysis:
1, 4, 7, 8, 11
Power analysis:
2, 6, 8, 9
County came together in 2010 to form a
coalition called Save Lamu, in response to
the Kenyan government’s plans, part of its
Vision 2030.4 Although the planned infrastruc ture will have irreversible
environmental, social and demographic
impacts on what is a unique and politically sensitive area, State decision makers
have not consulted the Lamu community
as the key stakeholders, and no environ-
4 The different Lamu ethnic groups include the Bajun, Kore-Maasai, Sanye, Boni, Pokomo,
Orma, Mijikenda and are represented by local leaders. See: www.savelamu.org