Tag: Aid

What would a feminist approach to localisation of humanitarian action look like?

Guest post from Francesca Rhodes, Oxfam’s Gender Policy Adviser on campaigns, policy and influencing The aid sector’s sexual exploitation and abuse crisis put into stark spotlight the unequal power dynamics between humanitarian actors and communities they work in, and the injustices this can cause. Discussions on what a humanitarian system, and Oxfam itself, would look…

By Duncan Green August 14, 2018 0

The evidence suggests that support for UK development NGOs is actually growing

Aid NGOs

According to Dan Brockington and Nicola Banks, the evidence suggests that the demise of UK aid is greatly exaggerated. They want to know if they’ve missed something… International development NGOs are facing interesting times in the UK. We live in a rising tide of nationalism, parochialism and suspicion of, not care for, distant strangers. Austerity measures make…

By Duncan Green August 7, 2018 5

How does DFID work with non-state power holders (armed groups, faith organizations, traditional chiefs) in messy places? Interview with Wilf Mwamba

Aid how change happens Politics

One of the highlights of the recent conference on accountability and empowerment in fragile/conflict states (see Friday’s post) was hanging out with a true ‘development entrepreneur’, Wilf Mwamba. Wilf is a rising star in DFID, set up some of the most interesting ‘adaptive management’ programmes in Nigeria, and has been in the DRC for the…

By Duncan Green July 31, 2018 0

What did I learn from 2 days of intense discussions on empowerment and accountability in messy places?

Aid General how change happens Politics

I wish I was one of those people who can sit zen-like through a two day conference, smiling and constructive throughout. Instead I fear I come across as slightly unhinged – fidgety; big mood swings as I get excited, irritated or bored in rapid succession. The most recent example of my failings was a two…

By Duncan Green July 27, 2018 4

Escaping the Fragility Trap? Why is it so hard to think constructively about fragile states?

Aid Conflict and Security Economics how change happens Politics

Just been reading the report of the ‘Commission on Fragility, Growth and Development’. Hosted by LSE and Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government; big name chairs (David Cameron, Donald Kaberuka and the LSE’s Adnan Khan). And I think it’s a bit disappointing. But the reasons for that are actually quite interesting and instructive. First the positives.…

By Duncan Green July 19, 2018 2

What’s the role of Aid in Fragile States? My piece for OECD

Aid Conflict and Security General Politics

The OECD’s ‘States of Fragility’ report was published yesterday. It’s a 260 page monster, so I haven’t got round even to skimming it yet. Will report back on the interesting bits, but in the meantime here is the piece I contributed, on fragility and aid. If aid is primarily aimed at reducing extreme poverty and…

By Duncan Green July 18, 2018 1

The last word in the Community Driven Development wonkwar? Scott Guggenheim responds to Howard White and Radhika Menon

Aid General Politics

The discussion on Community Driven Development (CDD) has been passionate, at times angry, and has surfaced some important common ground as well as differences. Here Scott Guggenheim (right) responds to yesterday’s post, in what he hopes is the final exchange (people can always continue in the comments section). To recap for those who are arriving new…

By Duncan Green July 12, 2018 3

Book Review: Navigation by Judgment, by Dan Honig

Aid how change happens

As its subtitle, ‘Why and When Top-Down Management of Foreign Aid Doesn’t Work’, suggests, this is an addition to the growing library of books on aid reform. And a very useful one. Honig is a hybrid scholar-practitioner, with dirt under his fingernails in East Timor and Liberia, and the book is for aid insiders, whether…

By Duncan Green July 6, 2018 4

What did I learn from a week discussing Adaptive Management and MEL?

Aid how change happens

Just got back from an extraordinarily intense week in Bologna, running (with Claire Hutchings and Irene Guijt) a course on ‘Adaptive Management: Working Effectively in the Complexity of International Development’. The 30 participants mainly came from NGOs and non-profits, but with a smattering of government officials and consultants. What made the discussion different from previous…

By Duncan Green June 20, 2018 9

The Global Humanitarian Assistance 2018 report is out today – here are six top findings

Aid Conflict and Security Natural disasters

The Global Humanitarian Assistance 2018 report is out today. Here are some of the headline findings and supporting numbers: 1. Humanitarian Assistance (HA) mainly goes to a small number of countries: ‘60% of all assistance was channelled to 10 countries only, with 14% going to Syria, the largest recipient, and 8% to Yemen, the second-largest.’…

By Duncan Green June 19, 2018 3