I am grateful to Oxfam’s Duncan Green for his fair and thoughtful review of my paper about improving aid, Beyond Planning: Markets and Networks for Better Aid. I’m glad that Duncan and Chris, his Oxfam colleague, endorse a key argument of the paper, which is that the development industry will Read more…
This post is cross-posted on the aidinfo blog. My colleague Judith Randel has made a very interesting point about aid transparency. It was not long ago that donors conducted Consultative Group meetings in Paris about their planned aid to each developing country. Representatives of the recipients were not invited (they Read more…
I’ve had a Kindle here in Ethiopia for a few weeks now, and I’m lovin’ it. I bought the international edition, with a 6 inch display (the Kindle DX with the larger 9.7 inch display is expected to be available in an international edition some time in 2010). Update (6th Read more…
I know it is fashionable to denounce celebrities who get in involved in international development, but I admire both Bono and Bob Geldof. They are smart enough to take advice from smart people, and they put serious amounts of time and effort into visiting developing countries and getting to know Read more…
Whenever anybody makes a suggestion for improving foreign assistance, there is a long queue of vested interests thoughtful people ready to pour scorn on it offer constructive criticism. To save everyone effort in future, here is a cut-out-and-keep, one-size fits all template for criticising every possible aid proposal. I hope Read more…
Michael Clemens from the Center for Global Development talks about immigration – which he describes as “The Biggest Idea in Development that No One Really Tried“. In this TED-talk style video, he addresses criticisms of open borders such as the idea that open immigration would impoverish rich countries (it wouldn’t), Read more…
In Business Day, Adekeye Adebajo, the executive director of the Centre for Conflict Resolution, Cape Town, takes the gloves off in criticising Dambisa Moyo’s book, Dead Aid: … This is a work of self-flagellating simplicity, totally devoid of any thinking by leading African research centres or scholars, making the book Read more…
My sister was sent this card. I thought it was funny. Please do send a goat to Africa this Christmas. It will change somebody’s life, and it will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Or you can send cow. I promise you that either will add more happiness Read more…
The Center for Global Development is working on an idea which they call Cash on Delivery aid, in which donors make a binding commitment to developing country governments to provide aid according to the outputs that the government delivers. I think this is a good idea in principle, and hope Read more…
A few years ago, Nancy Birdsall and I proposed that donors might consider a scheme to give aid to developing countries based on the services they actually deliver. For example, donors could promise to pay $100 for each additional child who completes primary school and takes a standardized competency test. Read more…