THE SCIENCE
Conduct research and analysis of the gap between policy and implementation of aid effectiveness principles as it relates to global development investments.
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Conduct research of the gap between policy and implementation
76% of ODA from major bilateral and multilateral donors to the poorest countries bypasses the systems of local public institutions and flows instead to international NGOs, civil society organizations, and the private sector.
Our analysis shows that, on average, 76 percent of ODA from major bilateral and multilateral donors to the poorest countries bypasses the systems of local public institutions and flows instead to international NGOs, civil society organizations, and the private sector. The targets set by donor countries for investing in national systems are as follows:
2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness: Donors agreed to a two-third or one-third reduction in aid bypassing country systems, depending on the quality of those systems. The Paris Declaration was signed by 166 countries, bilaterals and multilaterals.
2008 Accra Agenda for Action: Donors agreed “to use country systems as the first option for aid programs in support of activities managed by the public sector.” The Accra Agenda for Action was signed by 166 countries, bilaterals and multilaterals.
2011 Busan Partnership for Effective Development: Donors committed to “use country systems as the default approach for development cooperation activities managed by the public sector.” Donors agreed that, if the full use of systems is not possible, they would discuss with the recipient government what would be required to move towards full use, including any necessary assistance or changes for the strengthening of systems. The Busan Partnership was signed by 211 countries, bilaterals and multilaterals.
2014 High Level Meeting of the Global Partnership, Mexico: This was the first high level meeting of the Global Partnership, which was initiated in Busan (2011) to ensure that the aid effectiveness conversation is not only driven by donor nations. The Global Partnership brings together all interested actors in development – ranging from governments to the private sector – in an effort to strengthen their partnerships for development. In doing so, the Global Partnership seeks to end all forms of poverty and inequality.
2016 Nairobi Outcome Document: The Nairobi Outcome document was designed to provide a roadmap for the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while reinforcing the principles agreed to in Paris (2005), Accra (2008), Busan (2011) and Mexico (2014). It emphasizes four themes: country ownership, results, inclusiveness and transparency and accountability. For the first time, the international community recognized the various stakeholders in aid effectiveness, including civil society and the private sector. The Nairobi Outcome Document was endorsed by 4.500 diverse stakeholders from 154 countries.
Where Are We on the Implementation of Aid Effectiveness Principles?
While international policies and targets are in place for donors to invest their funding through the public sector of recipient countries, the Science of Implementation Initiative has gathered data that demonstrate that the implementation of these principles is still far behind.
Fifteen years after the Paris Declaration, donors seem to be going backwards on their commitments. In 2018, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) conducted a survey of 86 countries covering disbursements of $58.8 billion in development loans and grants. One of the key findings of the survey was that despite significant progress made by developing country governments in improving the quality of their national development planning, donor alignment with national priorities and country-owned results frameworks is declining.
Since 2011, the proportion of developing countries with high-quality national development strategies has almost doubled. Meanwhile, only a third of recipient governments feel they have the necessary information to monitor donor implementation of their own plans. Recipients of ODA found that it is now “less predictable and long-term, undermining (their) efforts to plan.” The joint UNDP-OECD survey also showed that instead of consulting primarily with recipient government representatives, donors consulted the most with civil society organizations.