Jockeying for power and data amidst corruption: the case of the IMPACT Platform in Lebanon

This study employs the Theory of Fields and the concept of political entrepreneurs as a theoretical framework to understand the jockeying for power around the IMPACT e-gov-ernance platform in Lebanon. The platform consists of a multi-stakeholder transparency re-form effort and open data tool that involves state bodies, non-profit organizations, donors, civil society groups, and a predatory class of elites. Through an analysis of qualitative data gathered from interviews and a desk review, this study tells the story of how and why IMPACT emerged, who were the actors behind it, the shocks that shaped its trajectory, and where it found cooperation and resistance within the state and with non-state actors. The study found that IMPACT partially succeeded because of the presence and efforts of critical actors such as policy entrepreneurs and donors, as well as unexpected shocks like the pan-demic. What was essential, however, was the collaboration of local government bodies and ministries, especially when benefits could be captured by elites. However, the platform faced resistance from those elites when it threatened their impunity, but it also faced valid criticism from non-state actors as well. This paper therefore contributes to the policy field of research by shedding light on the unforeseen positive and negative effects of relying on donors and the non-profit sector to enact transparency reform within the state, as well as the dynamics that arise in a predatory clientelist state when data is viewed as a resource.