Letter from the Editor
Photo Credits

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Just after last September’s High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, the Economist offered the stark assessment that, “the development aid business is a shambles.” Aid managers themselves, in both recipient and donor countries, agree that too many agencies finance too many projects, following different systems of accounting and multiple objectives, in uncoordinated efforts that often overtax developing-country ministries, which are already struggling with meagre resources, skills gaps and governance weaknesses. The outcome is that sought-after “development results”—often not clearly-defined at the outset—are disappointing to all concerned, deepening the scepticism that already surrounds development aid.

In Accra, donors and developing countries hammered out an agenda for action that aims to change this. They promised to “take bold steps to reform the way aid is given and spent,” focusing on country ownership of programs, more effective partnerships, achieving results and openly accounting for them.

So what are the prospects for these “bold steps”? In this issue of Development Outreach, we asked experts from diverse perspectives to consider specific examples of how issues raised in the Accra Agenda have surfaced in their experience. What is needed, we asked, for the Accra principles to become reality in practice?

The resulting articles reflect the complexity and dilemmas behind this challenge. Understanding of aid effectiveness has deepened since the World Bank’s 1998 research report, Assessing Aid. The movement from aid conditionality to selectivity highlighted in that study, has now been overtaken by consensus on the need for country ownership of development programs.

The Accra Agenda for Action is a key driver of this consensus, and will play a vital role in articulating the cooperation among governments, civil society, private sector, parliaments, media and multilateral institutions that is required to deliver on it.

Christopher Neal
Executive Editor

PHOTO CREDITS (noted in order of appearance)

Unless otherwise noted, all images from Newscom.

Cover: Newscom;
Guest Editorial: The Accra High Level Forum;
Committing to Effective Aid: AFP PHOTO/HOANG DINH Nam;
The Struggle for Ownership of Assistance: Shashank Bengali/MCT;
The Millenium Challenge Account: UPI Photo/US Navy/Alan D. Monyelle;
Germany Seeks Influence by Setting Examples: AFP PHOTO DDP/ MICHAEL KAPPELER GERMANY OUT;
Brazil as an Emerging Donor: AFP PHOTO / STR;
Partnering for progress: The Accra High Level Forum;
Aid Effectiveness and Governance: map provided by www.ODTmaps.com; The Accra High Level Forum;
Development Marketplace: Mark Heayn/ The World Bank; Picture provided by www.pumpaid.org;
Promoting Aid Effectiveness from the Bottom Up: SHAH MARAI/AFP/Getty Images;
Multi-donor Trust Funds: AFP PHOTO /Massoud HOSSAINI;
Voices from the Field: SOMALIA-01/01/2009/0901061059; AFP PHOTO MINISTERE DE LA DEFENSE/MARINE NATIONALE/SM. SABAT;
Highlights: AFP PHOTO/KHALED FAZAA; Curt Carnemark/
The World Bank; Yuri Kozyrev/The World Bank.

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