Comments for Whither EC Aid?

Comment on The “MDG Contract”, an approach for longer term and more predictable general budget support. by Nuria Molina

Nuria Molina — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:54:47 +0000

For an analysis on the conditionality framework attached to the “MDG Contracts”, see Eurodad’s report “Outcome-based conditionality: Too good to be true?” at http://www.eurodad.org/uploadedFiles/Whats_New/Reports/Outcome_based_conditionality.pdf

Comment on Initial discussion note by christopher muzavazi

christopher muzavazi — Fri, 30 May 2008 23:10:54 +0000

The issue of EU developmetn aid, is my area of academic specialisation. What I find missing in your approach to effectiveness and developmetn aid , ownership of the development process is the matter related to development models.

I have work in progress on this topic. I would like some opinions on it, if you kindly provide me with names of persons in your research or policy department.

Chris Muzavazi
tel +44 151 5253223
mob. +44 7731657144

Comment on Development Policy Forum Roundtable, 12 June, Brussels by Dr. David Uata

Dr. David Uata — Fri, 30 May 2008 04:51:34 +0000

Aid effectiveness is strictly measured on scope of the aid aimed at achieving. For example, if a technical assistant was provided by a bilateral donor to a country build the capacity of the line ministry to manage thier “projects and or programmes”, then, a baseline of the current capacity of the change management/countinous imrovement component of the lineministry is measured as to its “future state” that we hope to ahcieve, a plan with budgets on “how to bridge the gap” and resources to implement the project/programme.

Often, consultants on technical assistant, manages the programmes/project and forget thier role, which to transfer his or her knowledge on how to plan, manage and report on large scale projects to the “Local Person/Persons, who will stay at the ministry to carry out other projects”.

Often consultants in aid programmes are experts on project/programme management, rather they are trainers. also, sometime, the expert on the subject matter cannot mentor and tranfer knowledge.

So often we find consultants pointing out all the problems of line ministry, that he/she does not focus on mentoring “people”, as well as designing a “how to process” based on best practices with specific tools to assist the local person gain the expertise.

so often, we find consultants talking about best practices and why we should use best practice with no real methodology (processes and tools) to assist the local.

also, we often forget to teach “approaches” that have been proven to work large scale programmes.

further, we forget the “mindset” necessary and the cultural aspect to improve capacity.

Thus, I submit, being an “Enbler, Facilitator, and a continuious improvement agent, has proven method, processes, tools, approaches, mindset and culture to improve capacity of developing countries to grow thorugh a systematic way to “developed” nation status, at which they become an expert on how to develop other nations given what they experienced.

hope the comments help. If there are too many typos, sorry, I wrote it quickly before dinner. Cheers.

Components of the programme/projects are:
performance Indicators
results

Comment on Roundtable Madrid 22 February by Carmen Gonzalez

Carmen Gonzalez — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:07:18 +0000

Thanks very much to Fride, ECDPM and Actionaid for organising this meeting. It was very useful as it created the opportunity to gather CSO and institutions around the discussion on better EC aid. Many interesting issues were raised and I would have liked to have a bit longer session for reaching some conclussions. In summary, congratulations for the initiative!

Comment on Ownership by Panduleni Itula

Panduleni Itula — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:10:59 +0000

Improvements in health delivery in Namibia and some African countries may only come about when there is Private-Public Ownership of EC Aid. Governments’ own aid will not benefit the people it is designed to assist.

Comment on Ownership by Asim Nawaz Khan

Asim Nawaz Khan — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 09:06:08 +0000

I hope the EU will reach out to new partners, instead of continuing to rely on existing partners. In my experience as a member of civil society in Pakistan, the EU’s requirements favour established organisations over newer ones. Since Calls for Submission of Proposals have requirements such as three years of audit reports, new organisations are at a clear disadvantage. Moreover, the skills and qualifications of individuals are crucial: strong organisations may have incompetent staff, while new organisations may have highly competent staff. Therefore, the EU should ask for CVs of those intending to manage the projects, in order to know their relevant experience and worth.

Comment on Aid management by ecdpm

ecdpm — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:16:18 +0000

Translation by ECDPM of Dr Moumouni Soumano’s comment (29 January):

We must go beyond technical issues that are often confined to Europe, and ask ourselves what impact European development cooperation has on, for instance, populations of the ACP countries. How does cooperation benefit individuals as development actors? Also, how to measure the impact of budget support at the grassroots level? From the first European Development Fund (EDF) to the ninth EDF, we can see that budget support now represents over two thirds of the total. The countries where disbursements of these funds are most important are also those with the lowest rankings on the Human Development Index (HDI) – Mali is a clear example (see the UNDP’s HDI report of 2006). So what place for man in European development cooperation? It would be interesting for European development cooperation to quit strategic navel-gazing and evolve towards the optimisation of human potential. Development cooperation should help populations to organise themselves first, and provide them with real means of production. This should come at the expense of the billions currently swallowed by budget support, the impact of which can hardly be traced.

Comment on Recommendations for changes to EC aid policies and practice by Garrett Wyse

Garrett Wyse — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:03:35 +0000

I have been working on the idea of constructing a Global Public Good of access to financial services, and public bodies would have a very distinct role in the provision of the necessary inputs to develop the public aspect (central bank, regualtors, credit bureaux, consumer rights, property rights, rule of law etc.) of a truly inclusive financial sector in developing nations.
It would also offer the chance for non-financial ODA, lowers the opportunity for corruption, and also offers opportunities for complementary investment (civil society and private)

Comment on Recommendations for changes to EC aid policies and practice by Patrick Onono

Patrick Onono — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:49:38 +0000

EU aid should link relief rehabilitation and development in post conflict areas.

Comment on Recommendations for changes to EC aid policies and practice by David Sogge

David Sogge — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:00:16 +0000

Might it be useful to reflect on the little matter of just who aids whom? In 2006 for example, “developing economies” transferred to the “developed countries” about $658 billion, net of all aid, investment &c. going in the other direction. Nearly $100 billion of that came from Africa. And by the way, those flows are only those that the UN was able to register for its World Economic Situation report of 2007. Unrecorded capital flight, transfer pricing &c. would make the real totals even more obscene. Perhaps we need studies and roundtables about the “added value”, “architecture” and “accountability and monitoring of impact” of aid flows from the poor to the rich.