Poverty reduction and regional integration (PRARI) data

Yeates, Nicola (2017). Poverty reduction and regional integration (PRARI) data. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Archive. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-852837

The growing presence of multilateral regional organisations in public policy making is increasingly the subject of North-South and South-South development agendas. It is also generating development initiatives and research into the benefits of regional economic integration for public goods provision and for people living in poverty. Regional integration ambitions and initiatives extend beyond commercial trade and investment to embrace health and welfare policy. However, little is known about whether and how regional commitments on reducing poverty and enhancing social equity are being implemented in these domains, and what kinds of regional policy development processes are conducive to the emergence of embedded ‘pro-poor’ approaches in regional and national spheres. This project examined Southern multilateral regional organisations' approaches to poverty reduction through regional health policy, in particular access to health and medicines. It was guided by the following questions: what regional institutional practices and methods of regional policy formation are conducive to the emergence of embedded ‘pro-poor’ health strategies, and what can national, regional and international partners do to promote such practices and methods? The project investigated regional agendas and ambitions, regional programmes of action and regional processes of policy development of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). It undertook in-depth fieldwork in relation to SADC and UNASUR as regional organisations and in relation to low-income member states of SADC (Zambia, Swaziland) and UNASUR (Bolivia and Paraguay) which are confronted with serious socio-economic challenges, low levels of service delivery and immense public health challenges. The project also developed regional indicators-based monitoring systems. Previous such systems developed systems for monitoring regional integration policies in the economic sphere but this project sought to give proper attention to the regional social sphere. To this end, in collaboration with stakeholders from policy and practitioner communities in SADC and UNASUR regions, the project developed indicator-based systems (‘Toolkits’) for monitoring regional health policy change and success which incorporated a focus on ‘pro-poor’ indicators. The research design was informed by international comparative research methodology in relation to the study of SADC and UNASUR regional health governance, policy and programming, and by collaborative modes of Participatory Action Research in relation to the PRARI Monitoring Toolkits. Data was collected using available datasets and official documents plus individual interviews, workshops and consultations with sampled members of policy and practitioner communities within the SADC and UNASUR regions. These methods allowed the project to contribute evidence and analytical perspectives capable of informing processes of regionalisation as they relate to health policy, and in particular the health-poverty nexus.

Data description (abstract)

The data collection consists of a comprehensive User Guide, 48 transcripts from individual interviews and Toolkits workshops and background documents. The interviews and workshops were conducted with diverse participants drawn from policy and practitioner fields in two geographical areas of the world: the Southern African Development Community(SADC) region in Southern Africa, and the Union of South American Nations(UNASUR) region in South America. Research participants included public officials (spanning policy formation, bio-statistical experts, monitoring and evaluation) from government ministries and regional secretariats, and representatives of health and poverty-focused civil society organisations (service and advocacy non-governmental organisations, and health practitioners). The data is organised into two principal file strands: Interviews and Toolkits. The Interviews file strand is sub-divided into South America (UNASUR) and Southern Africa (SADC) components. Each of these strands contains qualitative data, while the Toolkits data also contains quantitative data (indicators). This data is already published in the Toolkits themselves and freely available, but for the convenience of the user of this dataset is included in this deposition. Transcripts of interviews and workshops relating to the UNASUR regional health governance component of the project are in the Spanish language, and this may limit access for some users; all other transcripts are in English. The User Guide contains further information about the organisation of the research within the project, the analytical methods framing the cross-regional comparative analysis and the Toolkits, a list of acronyms and abbreviations for the English and Spanish language elements of the project, and project documents (workshop schedules and sample project information sheets, consent forms and interview guides) in the English language.

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