After holding a number of workshops in Europe and one in Kigali, Rwanda, the first in a series of group discussions in partner countries, the consultation process of the WECA project moved on with the organisation of a roundtable at the European Commission’s Directorate-General EuropeAid Cooperation Office (AidCo). Around 8 high-level representatives of Aidco attended, including Director-General Koos Richelle.
The participants’ wide-ranging comments reflected a high-level of interest on the part of EuropeAid to be indeed involved in WECA and its outcomes. After an introduction to the WECA project – objectives, process and first outcomes – participants engaged in discussions on a number of issues emerging from the Discussion Note, in particular with regard to EC development policy reform and implementation and to the issue of accountability and monitoring for impact.
The participants insisted on the EC’s ‘uncomfortable’ position referring to being seen and assessed as the EU’s ‘28th donor’, while being commonly accepted as an influential body (i.e. on MS and in the international scene). On the issue of impact evaluation of aid, there has been a collective acknowledgement on the urgent need to shift from a commitments – or disbursements – to a results-based approach. During the discussion, a wide-range of issues, such as budget support and the concept of poverty reduction were raised. A participant refuted the widespread idea that the EC aid effectiveness is impeded by bureaucracy and that it is not enough focusing on poverty reduction, arguing that the EC’s donor performance is scrutinized much more closely than that of others.
List of participants - .doc| .pdf
Comment of Koos Richelle, AIDCO Director.
Filed under: Roundtables
