We apply political economy and feminist analytical lenses to understand how power relations, gender norms, and institutional incentives shape governance outcomes—informing inclusive, politically feasible reforms in social, economic, and environmental sectors.

At South Consulting, we go beyond surface-level analysis to uncover the formal and informal rules, interests, and incentives that shape policy choices and development outcomes across Africa. Our PEA work equips decision-makers with actionable intelligence—not academic theory—to design reforms that are politically feasible, socially inclusive, and institutionally sustainable.

We apply PEA across governance reform, education, Gender Equality, Diversity and Social Inclusion (GEDSI), climate change, and crisis contexts—where understanding power dynamics is essential to success.

Why Work With South Consulting?

1. Real-Time Political & Electoral Analysis

Mapping risks and opportunities during transitions

Political transitions—whether electoral, constitutional, or crisis-driven—create both reform windows and instability risks. We provide real-time, context-specific political analysis to support informed decision-making.

Our work includes:

• Analysis of elite bargaining and coalition dynamics

• Constituency- and sub-national–level trend forecasting

• Political risk and scenario planning for elections and transitions

• Integration of conflict, displacement, and climate stressors into political risk assessments

We help clients anticipate change, not merely react to it.

2. Sectoral Political Economy Deep Dives

Understanding why reforms succeed—or stall

Sector reforms often fail not because of poor technical design, but because of misaligned incentives and entrenched interests. We conduct targeted sectoral PEAs to identify practical reform entry points.

Our experience includes:

• Extractive industries governance, revenue management, and accountability

• Health and education financing bottlenecks and institutional capture

• Land governance and reform blockages, including tenure, conflict, and equity issues

• Climate-related sector reforms, including natural resource management and adaptation financing

Our analysis translates power dynamics into implementable reform strategies.

3. Institutional “X-Rays”

Diagnosing why implementation breaks down

We conduct deep institutional diagnostics to reveal the gap between formal mandates and actual practice—and how that gap can be closed.

Our approach examines:

• Informal versus formal power structures within institutions

• Incentive alignment and accountability frameworks

• Organizational and inter-agency coordination failures

• Resistance drivers and politically informed mitigation strategies

We do not stop at diagnosis—we support clients to act on the findings.

From Insight to Action

South Consulting’s PEA is designed to inform program design, organizational reform, crisis response, and donor investment decisions. By integrating political, social, economic, and climate dynamics, we help partners move from technically sound ideas to politically achievable reform.