Aid Effectiveness and Development
Centre of African Studies, The University of Edinburgh

The aid effectiveness agenda provides the new framework for international development. Based on a series of global agreements signed in the 2000s, aid effectiveness is captured in the concepts of coordination, harmonisation and alignment, primarily aimed at ensuring better results through recipient countries taking more ownership of development processes. Most major aid agencies, recipient governments, as well as an increasing number of non-governmental organisations are using these concepts in their work.

This course will enhance your knowledge of aid effectiveness in theory and practice. Through tutor-led discussions and exercises we will explore:

• the background to the aid effectiveness agenda  
• • where it emerged from and why
  • what are the key concepts and what do they mean
• what it means in practice for aid agencies and recipient countries      
• • new ways of working and new modalities of aid (such as budget support and joint reviews)
  • the translation of the principles of aid effectiveness into working practice for agencies
  • translation into practice within developing countries
  • where we are it in terms of adherence to these new practice
• the pros and cons of this approach:   
• • are we seeing better development results through the aid effectiveness agenda
  • what are the downsides

Our short courses are aimed at professionals working in international development. There are no course entry requirements, although we would expect participants to have some academic background, such as an undergraduate degree.

Course Dates 2010:
23 April 2010
20 May 2010