3 - It Takes Two to Tango

Question 1

What is the difference between idealists and realists in development cooperation?

Answer 1

The former believe that aid should meet the requests of the partner countries while the latter believe that aid is primarily shaped by donors’ interests

Question 2

Projects or programmes?

Answer 2

Projects are advised in weaker countries and programmes in stronger countries. Larger projects and programmes are preferable since they do not overwhelm local institutions with the administrative burden of a myriad of smaller initiatives

Question 3

What is the principled aid index (PA)?

Answer 3

It is an index which attempts to measure the balance between the pursuit of the donor and partner countries’ interests.

Question 4

What are the three indicators of the principled aid index (PA)?

Answer 4

1. Development gaps: aid allocation that reduces vulnerabilities and inequalities
2. Global cooperation: aid allocations that strengthen international responses to address shared global challenges
3. Public spiritedness: aid allocations that maximise every opportunity to achieve development impact, with narrower domestic gains as an indirect consequence

Question 5

How are donors scoring in the PA index?

Answer 5

Donors are reaching increased scores in the dimensions of needs and global cooperation but a deterioration in public spiritedness

Question 6

When is a country considered aid-dependent? Can you give any examples?

Answer 6

A country is considered aid-dependent when ODA accounts for at least 10% of its GNI. Some aid-dependent countries are Somalia (33%), Liberia, Afghanistan etc… Small islands developing countries are very aid-dependent as well

Question 7

Which countries are receiving the most ODA?

Answer 7

Mainly countries involved in the war on terror, such as Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq; but also Bangladesh, India, Ethiopia etc…

Question 8

What are donors’ darlings?

Answer 8

Donors’ darling are countries with an efficient and reliable structure ensuring the correct deployment of aid

Question 9

How is serving in the UN Security Council affecting aid?

Answer 9

Allied countries voting with the US in the Security Council receive 40% more aid. For non-allied countries, the percentage rise to 50%.

Question 10

How does the World Bank measure the governance and development capacity of a country?

Answer 10

Using the world governance index, which is based on 6 factors:
1. Voice and accountability
2. Political stability and absence of violence
3. Government effectiveness
4. Regulatory quality
5. Rule of law
6. Control of corruption

Question 11

What are the three variables of capacity?

Answer 11

1. Institutional capacity: the ability of an actor to mobilise resources
2. Organisation capacity: the ability to reach the organisation’s goal in a purposeful, effective and efficient manner
3. Development capacity: possessing the skills needed to reach the development goals (e.g. policy design to contrast poverty)

Question 12

What are donors’ orphans?

Answer 12

Donors’ orphans are countries (mainly LDCs) with weak institutions, which do not provide any warranty on the right usage of aid funds, and minor interest from a geopolitical perspective (e.g. do not possess natural resources)

Question 13

What is the problem with strengthening capacities?

Answer 13

Donors look for actors who already possess institutional, organisational and development capacities to task with development projects/programmes. They are lacking in LDCs, thus, to bring forth activities such capacities must be established in the first place with money and time-expensive investments