Policy Interaction

The EfD-CA Center for Central America is thus designed with the clear purpose of providing proactive, science based advice on available policy options, and a critical analysis of existing initiatives that affect environmental protection, sustainable natural resource management and poverty alleviation, based on the construction of a research agenda that prioritizes problems and policy processes in close interaction with stakeholders at all levels.

We believe this is particularly important for the Central American region for several reasons.  First, governmental institutions as well as local governments in the region are frequently characterized by low in-house capacity, resulting in little if any analysis of available policy options, and no ex post evaluation of the impact of alternative policies.

Second, non-governmental institutions are focused on the implementation of projects and technical assistance.  Even in the cases in which solutions are constructed with a bottom up approach that involves communities and stakeholders, the very nature of project implementation (in terms of time, budget and narrow objectives) reduces NGOs capacity for critical, scientific analysis.  CATIE is by no means an exception to this rule, and the EfD-CA Center is expected to provide scientific backstopping to these types of institutions in general and CATIE in particular.

Third, policy and decision makers in the Central American region are proudly distrustful of top down, over generalized solutions, and even more so if they are perceived to have been designed for other contexts.  Issues of monitoring, the lack of available resources, and technical requirements are too easily put forward as reasons for disregarding policy advice.  Hence, a local research center that involves policy makers from the outset into the research agenda is fundamental to increase acceptance of policy recommendations.