Test Drive | Page 51

Chapter  2:  Concept  note     2.3     A   framework   for   analysing   institutional   and   political   contexts   of   water   resources  management  projects  (IRS,  2012)   According  to  the  framework  developed  by  IRS  (2012),  water  conflicts  analysis  should  contain  four  stages  in  an   iterative  process.  The  depth  of  the  analysis  depends  upon  the  purpose  of  the  research,  but  should  start  with   an   analysis   of   stories   people   tell,   in   order   to   reconstruct   their   perception   regarding   the   problems   and   possible   solutions.   From   these   stories   the   location   of   the   problem   can   be   defined   and   the   actors   that   have   a   leading   role  in  these  problems  can  be  identified.  In  the  following  step,  an  inventory  is  made  of  possible  institutional   solutions.   In   the   final   phase,   the   practical   steps   of   transforming   the   problem   into   the   desired   situation   are   defined   and   analysed.   The   following   section   outlines   the   general   analytical   framework   of   the   IRS   framework   (see  Fig.  2.4).     Stage   1:   Water   Storylines   describes   a   means   of   researching   problems   and   solutions   in   water   resources   management  from  stakeholders’  perspectives.  This  inductive  approach  fixes  the  researchers’  gaze  directly  on   what   actors   think   and   do   in   relation   to   water   resources