Podcast Story: Why Do Institutions Matter?

Podcast Story: Why Do Institutions Matter?

Let us begin with the question: Why do institutions matter?

To answer this question, we must first ask what institutions are.

According to Adrian Leftwich and Kunal Sen, institutions can be understood in two main forms: formal institutions and informal institutions.

Formal institutions are normally understood to be written laws, regulations, legal agreements, statutes, contracts and constitutions enforced by third parties. Examples include the constitution, government, marriage, and family law.

Informal institutions, on the other hand, are usually unwritten norms, customary practices, standard operating procedures, routines, conventions and traditions deeply embedded in culture and its associated ideology. Examples include gender assignment, gender roles, and wearing clothes.

In other words, institutions can be understood as the rules of the game or constraints that shape behavior.

This idea is important because when we try to make sense of an advocacy project based on an institutional perspective, we are essentially examining how these formal and informal rules structure behavior, decision-making, and interaction.

Institutions and Development

Leftwich and Sen argue that institutions are very important to any development project that aims to create and sustain political stability and social inclusion.

However, institutions are not simple structures that appear automatically.

They present several key assumptions.

First, institutions do not form overnight.

Second, institutions are not static.

Third, it takes a mountain of effort to keep institutions working.

These assumptions support three main arguments.