Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EMBRACE (EMBRACing changE: Overcoming obstacles and advancing democracy in the European Neighbourhood)
Reporting period: 2022-10-01 to 2023-09-30
EMBRACE analyses blockages to democratisation in the European neighbourhood, identifies ways to overcome them and suggests new policy tools for EU democracy promotion (EUDP). EMBRACE takes stock of developments in democracy-building, assessing EUDP instruments, ambitions and concepts. EMBRACE investigates episodes of political deadlock and opening to identify, analyse and explain behavioural, institutional and structural blockages, and the conditions under which they can be overcome. EMBRACE’s approach to empirical research combines a quantitative large-n with a qualitative middle-n comparative research strategy. Quantitatively, EMBRACE analyses the larger trends of EUDP and its effects on democratisation over the last two decades in all 23 neighbours. Qualitatively, EMBRACE investigates episodes of deadlock and opening from 12 selected countries in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus, Western Balkans, Northern Africa and the Middle East. Intra- and cross-regional comparison is systematically included in EMBRACE’s research design. Six stakeholder committees monitor the entire research process assuring that local needs and narratives are considered. In doing so, EMBRACE provides the EU with in-depth knowledge and an innovative policy toolkit enhancing partnerships for a stable and secure European neighbourhood, and incentivising resilient political actors to embrace democratic change.
WP 1 progressed significantly. The Communication and Impact Board as well as the Innovation Manager now guides the efforts and provided input and feedback to the Plan for Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication (PDEC). Communication material was developed and all partners were invited regularly to contribute to external communication. A particular success are the audio-visual materials, which are available on an EMBRACE Youtube channel. Stakeholder engagement was carried out according to plan, with 7 stakeholder committees being set up in the regions under study and one with EU stakeholders. The feedback and input provided by the stakeholders was discussed in the WP teams and integrated into the research where needed.
WP 2 was the most productive WP in the first year as it set the theory framework, decided on methodology and ensured ethics procedures. In an intensive joint collaboration effort the consortium completed the Data Management Plan (D2.1) that presents all ethics and data management issues, the Theory Framework Paper (D2.2) that presents the theoretical framework including all key concepts and terms, and the Combined Methodology and Field Work Plan (D2.5) that presents the methodological approach for data generation and data analysis.
During the reporting period, a significant amount of empirical data was collected in WP3’s large-n research, especially on the dependent variables. Work progressed the EU’s conceptualization of democracy and a tailored approach to the measurement of the dependent variable, problematising different conceptualizations of democracy. Further, data was collected on the independent variables and started on data collection for control variables. Partners started drafting three research papers investigating effects of funding for democracy promotion, linkages, diplomatic instruments, and technical assistance.
WPs 4-7: In the qualitative research WPs the bulk of fieldwork is planned Year 2 of the project. During this reporting period, WP4-7 laid the foundations for the field research: the teams have conducted extensive literature review on all cases and finalised the overarching conceptual frameworks for the WPs. The specific episodes of democratic gain/blockage were selected and all fieldwork plans were outlined, discussed and revised to enhance comparability. The questionnaires for carrying out interviews with different sets of stakeholders were developed and adopted by the WPs.
Preparations for the work in the WP8 on innovations and New Tools for EUDP have already begun. However, the tasks are not due in this reporting period. As foreseen, the work in the WP will only start after the research phase of EMBRACE.
As the heart of EMBRACE, WP9 Project Management has initialised the structures and mechanisms to support the consortium in its research work and to adequately ensure the governance of the project according to the Description of Action and the Consortium Agreement.
The foundations for continuous and stringent compliance with the ethics requirements of WP 10 in the project were laid and structurally anchored in the project. An Ethics Advisory Board was formed and consist of three renowned experts from scientific areas relevant to EMBRACE (see D10.2). They provided feedback and input repeatedly for conceptualization of the Data Management Plan (D2.1) and during the Methodology Workshop in Konstanz in April 2023.
WP 2 was the most productive WP in the first year as it set the theory framework, decided on methodology and ensured ethics procedures. In an intensive joint collaboration effort the consortium completed the Data Management Plan (D2.1) that presents all ethics and data management issues, the Theory Framework Paper (D2.2) that presents the theoretical framework including all key concepts and terms, and the Combined Methodology and Field Work Plan (D2.5) that presents the methodological approach for data generation and data analysis.
During the reporting period, a significant amount of empirical data was collected in WP3’s large-n research, especially on the dependent variables. Work progressed the EU’s conceptualization of democracy and a tailored approach to the measurement of the dependent variable, problematising different conceptualizations of democracy. Further, data was collected on the independent variables and started on data collection for control variables. Partners started drafting three research papers investigating effects of funding for democracy promotion, linkages, diplomatic instruments, and technical assistance.
WPs 4-7: In the qualitative research WPs the bulk of fieldwork is planned Year 2 of the project. During this reporting period, WP4-7 laid the foundations for the field research: the teams have conducted extensive literature review on all cases and finalised the overarching conceptual frameworks for the WPs. The specific episodes of democratic gain/blockage were selected and all fieldwork plans were outlined, discussed and revised to enhance comparability. The questionnaires for carrying out interviews with different sets of stakeholders were developed and adopted by the WPs.
Preparations for the work in the WP8 on innovations and New Tools for EUDP have already begun. However, the tasks are not due in this reporting period. As foreseen, the work in the WP will only start after the research phase of EMBRACE.
As the heart of EMBRACE, WP9 Project Management has initialised the structures and mechanisms to support the consortium in its research work and to adequately ensure the governance of the project according to the Description of Action and the Consortium Agreement.
The foundations for continuous and stringent compliance with the ethics requirements of WP 10 in the project were laid and structurally anchored in the project. An Ethics Advisory Board was formed and consist of three renowned experts from scientific areas relevant to EMBRACE (see D10.2). They provided feedback and input repeatedly for conceptualization of the Data Management Plan (D2.1) and during the Methodology Workshop in Konstanz in April 2023.
EMBRACE will make progress beyond the state of the art in EUDP research and politics in three significant ways:
(1) Intra- and interregional comparison based on new data
During the reporting period, the foundations were laid to build solid research with intra- and interregional comparisons based on new data. In all research-focused WPs (2-7), extensive literature reviews were conducted to scope out the state of the art. The most advanced WP is WP3, which started collecting and analysing quantitative data. The qualitative data collection will be achieved in the next reporting period, yet substantial work was conducted in preparation for fieldwork, such as defining and agreeing on conceptual frameworks, selecting empirical cases and defining questionnaires.
(2) A new theoretical framework on blockages in democratisation
The theoretical framework paper of the EMBRACE project outlines the state of the art and identifies the research gaps. The framework was accompanied by three background reports (Mapping EUDP, its concepts, instruments, objectives, ambitions and capabilities; Mapping blockages to EUDP: Identifying relevant actors’ constellations and structural factors creating episodes, and Mapping democratic openings: Identifying actors’ constellations and structural factors conducive to democratic). Based on the data mostly yet to be collected, the theoretical framework on blockages in democratisation will be developed through quantitative (WP3) and qualitative lenses (WP4-7).
(3) A new approach to creating policy tools for EUDP
The policy tools will only be developed after the research phase. A first round of stakeholder consultations already helped the consortium to map out policy gaps, needs and added value of the project.
(1) Intra- and interregional comparison based on new data
During the reporting period, the foundations were laid to build solid research with intra- and interregional comparisons based on new data. In all research-focused WPs (2-7), extensive literature reviews were conducted to scope out the state of the art. The most advanced WP is WP3, which started collecting and analysing quantitative data. The qualitative data collection will be achieved in the next reporting period, yet substantial work was conducted in preparation for fieldwork, such as defining and agreeing on conceptual frameworks, selecting empirical cases and defining questionnaires.
(2) A new theoretical framework on blockages in democratisation
The theoretical framework paper of the EMBRACE project outlines the state of the art and identifies the research gaps. The framework was accompanied by three background reports (Mapping EUDP, its concepts, instruments, objectives, ambitions and capabilities; Mapping blockages to EUDP: Identifying relevant actors’ constellations and structural factors creating episodes, and Mapping democratic openings: Identifying actors’ constellations and structural factors conducive to democratic). Based on the data mostly yet to be collected, the theoretical framework on blockages in democratisation will be developed through quantitative (WP3) and qualitative lenses (WP4-7).
(3) A new approach to creating policy tools for EUDP
The policy tools will only be developed after the research phase. A first round of stakeholder consultations already helped the consortium to map out policy gaps, needs and added value of the project.