Consultation in agricultural policy : the case of Samoa

Abstract

Since the introduction of economic reforms in the mid 1990's, the Government of Samoa (GoS) has continually committed itself to and emphasized the need for wider stakeholder consultation in policy formulation. The development of the Statement of Economic Strategy (SES) reflects this commitment by GoS, with an extensive consultation process being undertaken in the formulation of national level and sector level policies and strategies.

The purpose of this research was firstly, to identify the degree of consultation that is repeatedly emphasized and therefore clearly envisaged by the Government of Samoa (GoS) in agricultural policy. The research also set out to identify consultation mechanisms that would allow the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries and Meteorology (MAFFM) to consult with its stakeholders effectively. The final objective of the research was to evaluate the policy formulation process undertaken by the Government of Samoa (GoS), with regards to the degree of consultation.

Theoretical frameworks were developed on the concepts of public policy and consultation to guide the empirical phase of the research.

A qualitative fieldwork approach was undertaken in the collection and analysis of data. A semi-structured interview of senior government policymakers and stakeholders of agricultural policy were conducted. In addition, secondary data were collected and two case studies based on two agricultural projects were conducted. A qualitative analysis of data was carried out in generating research results for discussion.

The results of this investigation identified government policy as being two tiered, national level policy and sector level policy. Furthermore, the degree of consultation envisaged by GoS with national level policy is broad but is limited and passive, being restricted to gathering information from stakeholders rather than involving stakeholders actively in policy formulation. Sector level policy formulation is also broad, and like national level policy, it exhibits passive and limited consultation that is also restricted to information gathering from stakeholders.

The research also identified three appropriate mechanisms for effective consultation by MAFFM. These are the extension officer, the pulenuu, and the village council.

The research revealed the current degree of consultation for policy formulation is sufficient and effective at policy implementation. Policies are implemented through projects. Based on the case study of a sector level project (The Samoa Fisheries Project), a high degree of stakeholder involvement was highlighted that is described as functional and interactive consultation. Policy formulation with regards to decision-making is still limited and passive, with stakeholder involvement restricted to providing information for policymaking.

Research findings offer several implications for policy formulation. On a theoretical basis, with reference to stakeholder consultation in policy formulation, the research could be applicable to other types of policy, other than agricultural on such grounds. This implies a theoretical framework that is worth looking at in formulating policies with a view of being transparent and accountable.

At the national and sector level, policy formulation will always be 'top down' because it is part of national planning and is a function of government and its institutions. Research findings imply that stakeholder consultation should be well established and focused at the sector level with the identification of key sector stakeholder for effective and quality information regarding policy issues for policy formulation.