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Aid Effectiveness Network news
Newsletter - October 2006
Highlights
Aid Instruments / Development Finance
- DFID has committed £250 million in aid to Vietnam over the next five years. The Secretary of State and Minister Phuc of the Ministry of Planning and Investment signed a ten year Development Partnership Arrangement (DPA) that committed the UK to providing £50 million in aid for this year and 2007, and to provide at least £50 million a year between 2008 and 2010. The DPA will build on the strong and constructive working relationship between the UK and Vietnam, setting out the basis of the partnership over the next ten years. For further information please contact the press office.
- The Poverty Reduction Budget Support (PRBS) policy will be updated to build on the findings and recommendations made by the joint evaluation of general budget support and the Secretary of State has approved a policy concept note . A draft up-dated policy will be produced by the end of the year. For further information please contact Jennie Barugh.
Other Aid Effectiveness Information
- As part of our Aid Effectiveness Communications Strategy, the Global Development Effectiveness Division (GDED) and Information Civil Society Department (ICSD) have produced two new videos which redress concerns of the UK public that aid is wasted and provide positive messages of what happens when aid is effectively delivered. The DVDs will be launched on 7th November and a spotlight notice giving further details will be issued nearer the time. For further information please contact Clearadmin.
- In South Asia DFID has been supporting a series of conferences which is trying to focus the attention of governments on the need to address avoidable tragedies such as children dying every year from diseases caused by unsafe water or inadequate sanitation. DFID provided financial and technical support to the second South Asia Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN) which was held in Islamabad in September. The conference was attended by 400 delegates including Ministers from Pakistan, Maldives, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Delegates from China, Indonesia and Cambodia, UK and USA also participated. China intends to hold the first East Asia Sanitation conference next year.
- Mutual Learning Initiative workshop - Singapore 30th August -1st September. The OECD-DAC Joint Venture Managing for Development Results (JV MfDR) established a series of regional Mutual Learning Initiative (MLI) workshops. The MLI brings together, on a regional basis, representatives of partner countries that have been trying to apply the concepts and principles of MfDR in their development planning and implementation processes and in their relationships with donors supporting these efforts. These regional MLI workshops aim to create an environment conducive to professional discussions and exchanges of ideas on how to apply MfDR principles in practice and convey these experiences and ideas to a wider public. Workshops have been held in Africa (Uganda and Burkina Faso) and Asia (Singapore) and planned for Latin America (Uruguay). The Asia MLI aligned with the
Asia and Pacific Communities of Practice (CoP) . In total 18 participants from 12 countries across Asia and the Pacific region attended and included low, middle and high income countries. Key MfDR topics discussed included linking planning with budgeting, monitoring and evaluation and MfDR in the Asian context. Each topic also considered capacity issues and incentives. There will be a wrap up meeting once all four workshops have been held. The MLIs will also feed into the 3rd Roundtable (Hanoi, February 2007 - see upcoming events). For more information please contact Lynne Henderson.
Policy Division Restructuring Update
- Sam Sharpe held an update session on 21st September and some of his main points were:
- On 23 October, the Global Development Effectiveness Division (GDED) is born - made up of the Donor Policy and Partnerships Department and International Trade Department in London, and the Aid Effectiveness and Anti-Corruption Department in Scotland. Owen Barder starts work that day.
- Also on 23 October, Central Research Department moves to Policy Division, which becomes Policy and Research Division (PRD).
- Agreement has been reached with the concerned divisions that 5 posts will move across from the International Divisions Advisory Department - one health adviser post to HDG, one team leader post, one economist post and two statistician posts to the Global Development Effectiveness Group to lead work on international architecture.
Our focus now needs to shift from implementing these immediate changes towards the longer-term challenges of reshaping Policy and Research Division to meet DFID's priorities for the next CSR period (2008-2011). This will involve doing more on some growing policy issues (like climate change), while cutting back on other areas. As outlined in the Zero-based Review study of Policy Division carried out by Nick Dyer and Jo Yvon, we will need to look particularly at options for off shoring and outsourcing policy work.
Upcoming Events
- DFID (led by DFID South East Asia) are jointly organising an Asia Regional Forum on Aid Effectiveness with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank. The three day event will take place in Manila, at the ADB's headquarters from 18-20 October 2006. Two days will be spent in working level discussions with the final day bringing senior officials together for high level discussions. Opportunities include independent analysis of the aid effectiveness initiatives, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks, the chance to feed into the regional debate and bring country experience to the attention of donor HQ's, and to help other Asian countries. Asian country offices can get involved by opening the discussion with other donors about approaching government and securing participation, recommending and encouraging influential invitees and facilitation of case studies. For more information, please contact Debbie Warrener. A website will be available shortly.
- The Third International Roundtable on Managing for Development Results (MfDR) will be held in Hanoi on February 5-8 2007. This follows earlier Roundtables in Marrakesh (2004) and Washington (2002). Inaugurated at the Monterrey Financing for Development Conference in 2002 by the heads of the five multilateral development banks (MDBs), the MfDR initiative is one of the principal precursors of the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. The common theme is that if there is to be more aid, then its effectiveness in terms of development results needs also to be strengthened. The Hanoi Roundtable is the major international aid effectiveness conference between the Paris High Level Forum (HLF) in 2005 and the Ghana HLF scheduled for Autumn 2008. More details on MfDR, and plans for the Roundtable, can be found at
- ODI are pleased to announce the return of the
Recent Events
- The UN High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development got under way in New York between the 14-15 September. The purpose was to talk about the different aspects of international migration and development and to identify ways to maximise the development benefits from migration and minimise its negative impacts. Baroness Royall lead the UK delegation, supported by officials from DFID, Home Office and FCO. Please contact Camilla Bowen for more details.
- Professor William Easterly, of New York University and author of the book: "The Elusive Quest for Growth" visited DFID on Monday 18th September to present his latest book: "The White Man's Burden: or Why the West's efforts to aid the Rest have done so much ill and so little good". For more information please contact Lynn Stephen or Marco Petracco-Giudici.
The co-ordination of the Aid Effectiveness Network, including the Aid Effectiveness newsletter, is now being undertaken by the Country Led Approaches and Results (CLEAR) team, based in Abercrombie House, Scotland. Catherine Ferry e-mail: c-ferry@dfid.gov.uk and Nicola Cairns n-cairns@dfid.gov.uk are the new 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