Why do some reforms and development interventions stall, provoke resistance, or deepen tensions, even when their goals seem technically sound or likely to enjoy widespread support even? In this talk, we will explore the notion of “process legitimacy”, that is, how people judge whether the decision makers, rules, and procedures shaping change are acceptable and fair. The discussion will draw on a recently published paper that presents an analytical framework for process legitimacy and maps four common arenas of legitimacy contestation: between societal groups, among elite factions, between national and local authorities, and between national and global actors. We will explore the core principles that connect process legitimacy to the social sustainability of reforms and development interventions, and we will close with practical reflections drawing on examples from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Colombia, and Somalia.
You may refer here for the latest Process Legitimacy paper.