This study seeks to provide input for future policy development by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant CSOs on the institutional design of advocacy aid chains. Our study examines how the institutional design of aid chains enables and constrains CSOs in Kenya to perform political roles by scrutinizing the assumptions underlying the ToC of the Dialogue and Dissent framework. We conceptualize the institutional design of aid chains as consisting of interrelated ‘rules’ regulating, for example, who is in and out, roles and responsibilities, decision-making, and information-sharing. We employ a comparative analysis of the institutional rules of the Strategic Partnership (SP) and Accountability Fund (AF); two main lobby and advocacy instruments of the Dutch government. We scrutinize the similarities and differences of these rules, their underlying (policy) beliefs, their application and their impact on political roles. Our SP-case involves the Women@Work programme of Hivos in Kenya. Our AF-case still has to be determined in consultation with the Dutch Embassy in Nairobi. Besides studying the impact of the rules on CSOs ability to perform political roles within the aid chain, we also examine relevant CSOs outside the aid chain.

The nature of the relationship between multinational businesses and their host and home governments influences the character of such companies. Mistrusts, around the divergent interests of the stakeholders sometimes lead to relationship tensions. This research, using Kenya as its main case study and Nigeria as a comparative, will explore how the above stakeholders can reduce institutional and operational tensions that affect multinational business operations in Africa. Creating the enabling environment for policies that can lead to enhanced skills transfer and integrating local businesses into multinational business supply chain may be critical. Home government support can also help facilitate the above goals. In summary, the research aims to document and critique the policies of all the above stakeholders since independence, deepen our understanding of the dynamics in the relationships of the stakeholders, and facilitate the establishment of problem solving networks all aimed at enhancing the utility value of multinationals in Africa.