This paper is based on a study undertaken to
critically understand the dynamics of policymaking
and processes under the auspices of
the Future Agricultures Consortium’s (FAC) subtheme
on politics and policy processes hosted
by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
in the United Kingdom. FAC’s operative philosophy
is that contrary to the traditional and
highly stylized perspective, policy-making does
not happen in neat distinct stages except
perhaps in the minimal sense that policies are
proposed, legislated and implemented. Policy
processes are thus a complex mesh of interactions
and ramifi cations between a wide range
of stakeholders driven, and constrained by the
contexts in which they operate (cf. IDS, 2006;
Oya, 2006). Understanding the policy processes
therefore requires: 1) grasping the narratives
that tell the policy stories; 2) the way positions
become embedded in networks of various
actors; and 3) the enabling or constraining
power dynamics (politics and interests). The
decision to study the social protection policy
processes was inspired by the guarded optimism
among stakeholders about the prospects
of formulating a viable social protection policy
as compared to the fertilizer subsidy policy
programme which is generally orchestrated as a success story.