Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/53014 
Year of Publication: 
2002
Series/Report no.: 
WIDER Discussion Paper No. 2002/105
Publisher: 
The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), Helsinki
Abstract: 
This paper evaluates aid both by considering the evidence on aid effectiveness in promoting growth and by considering how effective has aid been in exerting leverage on policy choices. We argue that in both respects aid has had beneficial effects. It is rather easy to demonstrate that if a country is unwilling to implement policy reforms, attaching conditions to aid will not ensure sustained reform. In this sense conditionality does not work. This ignores the fact that donors, through aid and conditions, can influence recipient policies. The argument of this paper is that if the analysis focuses on channels of influence, one can better identify ways to enhance aid effectiveness. We argue that reform is a slow and difficult process and donors would be more effective ‘development partners’ if they see their role as being to support rather than force this process. In simple terms, donors should provide the information and technical assistance to help governments to make policy choices, rather than dictating choices by imposing conditions.
Subjects: 
aid effectiveness
conditionality
JEL: 
F35
O1
P41
ISBN: 
929190337X
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
219.72 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.