The Institutional Analysis and Development Framework: An Application to the Study of Common-Pool Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

"The development and use of theories enables the analyst to specify which of the elements of the framework are particularly relevant for particular kinds of questions and to make general working assumptions about these elements. Thus, theories focus on a part of a framework and make specific assumptions that are necessary for an analyst to diagnose a problem, explains its sources, and formulate some solutions. Several theories are usually compatible with any framework. Economic theory, game theory, transaction cost theory, social choice theory, convental theory, and theories of public goods and common-pool resource provision, production, and consumption are all compatible with the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework discussed in this paper."