Third Sector Participation in the Policy Process: A Framework for Comparative Analysis

Do third sector organisations (TSOs) participate meaningfully in the public policy process? What factors determine their access to decision-making domains or their ability otherwise to influence political outcomes? This article presents a framework for the analysis of the participation of TSOs in the policy process based on four factors: the political opportunities offered by the polity in which they operate; the nature of the policies they are seeking to influence; the characteristics and the resources of the organisations themselves; and the network of other political actors. The framework utilises a multi-disciplinary approach, combining elements from political science, sociology and organisational theory.