Explaining IPA influence: Some preliminary results from a Qualitative Comparative Analysis of IO policymaking

The paper investigates under which conditions International Public Administrations (IPAs) are able to influence policymaking within their respective International Organizations (IOs). Starting from a conception of IOs as political-administrative systems, we systematically compare IPA influence and study the conditions under which influence can be observed. The conditions are bureaucratic autonomy, policy complexity and political contestation. Using semi-structured interviews with international civil servants and IO stakeholders (n=100+), we reconstruct 15 cases of internal decision-making processes in four international organizations (FAO, WHO, ILO, UNESCO). Conducing a Qualitative Comparative Analysis, we clarify under which conditions policy influence by international secretariats takes place and under which it does not. To substantiate our findings, we also use process tracing to establish which “strategies” pursued by international bureaucrats are most effective to influence organizational policy output. The study shows when and how international bureaucracies exert policy influence and offers new opportunities to extend the generalizability of Public Administration theories.