Sections:
Aid Effectiveness Network news - Newsletter - May 2007
Highlights
Country Led Approaches
The DAC published its first report on implementation of the Paris Declaration on May 9. This shows that there remains much to be done to improve aid effectiveness. Of particular concern was the limited number of countries with national development strategies considered to have substantially achieved good practice, the very small number of countries with sound performance assessment frameworks and limited joint reviews of progress between donors and partner countries. There also remains much to do to get donors to untie aid, use country systems and work jointly. The report showed a very positive picture of DFID performance and we are among the top 3 donors. Nonetheless, there is still much for us to do to improve aid effectiveness. For more information please contact Guy Howard, e-mail: g-howard@dfid.gov.uk
Other Aid Effectiveness information
Gender and Aid Effectiveness in South East Asia: Studies and discussions at a workshop in South East Asia show that the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness offers a useful framework for assessing and strengthening government-led efforts towards greater gender equality and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Paris principles provide the opportunity for governments, civil society and donors to work together in more genuine partnerships provided the search for efficiency gains is not at the expense of securing long term impact and that donors change their own organisational behaviour where this constrains gender equality efforts. The workshop was based on evidence from 4 case studies of programme and policy work in Cambodia, Indonesia, Timor Leste and Vietnam . The final report is now available. For more information please contact Tom Beloe, e-mail: t-beloe@dfid.gov.uk
Poverty Reduction Budget Support in Ghana: Representatives of Ghana's government, donors and civil society met recently in Accra to discuss the findings of an evaluation of multi-donor budget support in Ghana. The report to be released in late May takes stock of the achievements of budget support over its first three years. The evaluation makes recommendations including how budget support in Ghana could be managed more effectively and suggests that instead of being conditional on completing agreed reforms, budget support should depend on the maintenance of proper processes of public spending, commitments to reducing poverty and a good record on human rights. To find out more you can read the dissemination draft of the report. Further information is available from Sarah MacGregor, e-mail: s-macgregor@dfid.gov.uk in DFID Ghana or James Bianco, j-bianco@dfid.gov.uk in Evaluation Department.
Recent seminars and events
The GeoData Institute hosted a lunchtime seminar on Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and their use in development (from governance to humanitarian aid). Presenters, Andrew Murdock and Craig Hutton discussed the potential of GIS for addressing socio-economic questions in the developing world, from mapping poverty and the incidence of disease to informing policy. The presentation was supported by live GIS demonstrations and showed some of the datasets that are available to address these issues. For further information please contact Kim Bradford Smith, e-mail: k-bradford-smith@dfid.gov.uk
A workshop on Development Effectiveness in Practice was recently held in Dublin to increase mutual knowledge and understanding of how practitioners are applying the Paris Declaration's principles to advance development outcomes in gender equality, environmental sustainability and human rights. Participants included partner governments, donor agencies, civil society at country and international levels and members of the DAC subsidiary bodies. The workshop highlighted that preparations for the 3rd High Level Forum in Ghana provides an opportunity to offer evidence and reaffirm the importance of development outcomes to the success of aid effectiveness efforts. A summary document and full length report will be posted on the workshop website in due course. For further information please contact Helen Wedgwood, e-mail: h-wedgwood@dfid.gov.uk or Rahul Malhotra, e-mail: r-malhotra@dfid.gov.uk
The Global Donor Platform for Rural Development recently hosted a lunchtime seminar to heighten awareness of the initiative and introduce the Platform as an instrument to increase overall effectiveness of aid in rural poverty. For more information please contact Jim Harvey, e-mail: jim-harvey@dfid.gov.uk
The co-ordination of the Aid Effectiveness (AE) network, including the AE newsletter, is undertaken by the Country Led Approaches and Results (CLEAR) team, based in Abercrombie House. Catherine Ferry, e-mail: c-ferry@dfid.gov.uk and Nicola Cairns, e-mail: n-cairns@dfid.gov.uk are the contacts. To keep abreast of the latest in aid effectiveness, please e-mail Catherine or Nicola who will add your name to the mailing list. Please also let us know of any news you have which relates to Aid Effectiveness. We will be glad to publicise anything you are doing.
Catherine Ferry and Nicola Cairns