Aid That Works : Successful Development in Fragile States

by Manor, James

• ISBN13: 9780821362013
• ISBN10: 0821362011
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-10-01
• Publisher: World Bank

Summary

Research in recent years on aid effectiveness shows that significant obstacles in fragile states-insecurity, poor governance and weak implementation capacity-usually prevent aid from achieving the desired results in these environments. This study investigates the attributes and effectiveness of donor-supported programmes and projects that worked well under difficult conditions in fragile states.Presented in this study are nine development initiatives in six less developed countries-Afghanistan, Cambodia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Timor Leste and Uganda. The cases show that development initiatives, which engage local communities and local level governments, are often able to have significant impact. However, for more substantial improvements to take places, localized gains need to be scaled up either horizontally (other localities) or vertically (to higher levels). Given the advantages of working at the local level and the difficulty of working through mainstream bureaucratic agencies at higher levels in these countries, donors often prefer to create "parallel-agencies" to reach out to larger numbers of beneficiaries. However, this may in the long run weaken the legitimacy of mainstream government institutions, and donor agencies may therefore choose to work as closely as possible with government officials from the beginning to build trust and demonstrating that new initiatives are non-threatening and help prepare the eventual mainstreaming of "parallel agencies".

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Contributors	xv
Abbreviations	xvii
Chapter 1 Introduction: Synthesizing Case Study Findings	1	(36)
Chapter Summaries	3	(3)
Defining Key Terms	6	(1)
Analyzing Initial Conditions	7	(1)
Ensuring Flexibility and Incorporating Feedback	8	(1)
Ensuring Community-Driven Development	9	(1)
Starting Small Scale or Large Scale	10	(1)
Fostering Constructive Potential at the Local Level	11	(2)
Linking Constructive Potential to Democratic Decentralization	13	(2)
Enhancing Government Capacity at Higher Levels	15	(1)
Encouraging a Sense of Ownership	16	(1)
Engendering Spillovers	17	(1)
Scaling Up	18	(1)
Parallel Agencies and Bodies	19	(3)
Determining the Psychological Effect of Improvements in Fragile States	22	(1)
Using Donor-Funded Institutions for Partisan Political Purposes	22	(2)
Addressing Needs during or after Armed Conflicts	24	(1)
Considering Implications of Case Studies for Donors	25	(7)
Coordinating and Integrating Aid Interventions	32	(1)
Findings of the Main Study	33	(2)
Notes	35	(1)
Bibliography	35	(2)
Chapter 2 A Framework for Assessing Program and Project Aid in Low-Income Countries under Stress	37	(22)
Overarching Issues Affecting Aid Modalities	41	(1)
Reviewing LICUS Contexts and the Aid Effectiveness Literature	42	(2)
Reviewing Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and the New Aid Architecture	44	(2)
Framework for Program and Project Assessment in LICUS	46	(2)
Assessing Development Results	48	(1)
Assessing Design Considerations' Contribution to Development Results	49	(4)
Assessing Implementation Management's Contribution to Development Results	53	(1)
Summarizing Case Study Contents	54	(1)
Notes	55	(1)
References	56	(3)
Chapter 3 The Transition Support Program in Timor-Leste	59	(26)
Development in Timor-Leste before the Transition Support Program	60	(4)
Overview of the Transition Support Program	64	(9)
Development Results	73	(8)
Conclusion	81	(1)
Notes	82	(1)
Bibliography	82	(3)
Chapter 4 The Seila Program in Cambodia	85	(38)
The Seila Program's Evolving Goals and Objectives	87	(9)
Development Results	96	(20)
Implications for Design and Implementation	116	(1)
Conclusion	117	(1)
Notes	118	(1)
Bibliography	119	(4)
Chapter 5 The First and Second Health Sector Rehabilitation and Development Projects in Timor-Leste	123	(22)
The Health Sector in East Timor before 2000	124	(3)
Overview of the Health Sector Rehabilitation and Development Project	127	(4)
Development Results	131	(5)
Explaining the Projects' Contribution to Development	136	(5)
Conclusion	141	(1)
Notes	142	(1)
Bibliography	142	(3)
Chapter 6 The Direct Support to Schools Program in Mozambique	145	(28)
Program Description	146	(2)
Field Work Methods and Sources	148	(2)
Development Results	150	(9)
Scaling Up the Program	159	(1)
Long-term Sustained Impacts	160	(4)
Summary of Program Achievements and Challenges	164	(2)
Lessons for Aid Provision in LICUS	166	(1)
Notes	167	(1)
Bibliography	168	(5)
Chapter 7 Decentralized District Planning and Finance in One Mozambican Province	173	(26)
Design of This Study	175	(1)
Project Description	176	(1)
Methods and Sources	177	(1)
Project Design	178	(1)
Project Implementation Processes	179	(1)
Development Results	180	(11)
Lessons for Development Interventions in LICUS	191	(1)
Notes	192	(1)
Bibliography	193	(6)
Chapter 8 The Community Fora Process in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan	199	(30)
Background and Context	200	(3)
Development of the Community Fora	203	(9)
Development Results	212	(4)
Design Considerations' Contribution to Development Results	216	(1)
Implementation Processes	217	(6)
Conclusions	223	(2)
Annex	225	(1)
Notes	226	(1)
References	226	(3)
Chapter 9 Aid Effectiveness and Microfinance: Lessons from Afghanistan	229	(24)
Context	230	(4)
Development Results	234	(1)
Design Considerations	235	(5)
Implementation Arrangements	240	(8)
Lessons for LICUS	248	(2)
Notes	250	(1)
Bibliography	250	(3)
Chapter 10 Community-Driven Development in Conflict and Postconflict Conditions: The Northern Uganda Social Action Fund Project	253	(36)
Project Antecedents	256	(5)
The Northern Uganda Social Action Fund Project	261	(19)
Conclusions	280	(3)
Notes	283	(3)
Bibliography	286	(3)
Index	289