New research to boost foreign aid policies in the heart of Africa
Foreign aid is crucial for strengthening economies and communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, donating to African countries is fraught with challenges on both sides of the donor-recipient equation, requiring better policies on the topic. The EU-funded PARTNERSHIP (Donor-Government Relations in Sub-Saharan Africa) project investigated donor-government relations and institutional change in foreign aid. To achieve its aims the project undertook onsite research in Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda over two years, conducting over 100 interviews with key policymakers both in donor and recipient nations. This also involved a visit to Rwanda to follow up on previous work undertaken there. Through its work, the team built a formidable network of contacts and associations that have helped unravel the complexities of foreign aid and promote the efficient use of donations from abroad. The research was supported by survey questionnaires sent to 23 donor agencies in 20 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa. This helped the project team compile new cross-national data on donor-government relations that would be useful to streamline foreign aid. The results and conclusions of the in-depth project research led to a number of papers on the topic, as well as an upcoming book titled ‘The Development Dance: Bargaining and Institutional Innovation in Foreign Aid’. The project team also conducted workshops for stakeholders where onsite research took place and published through a policy brief on the topic. These developments will no doubt contribute to improving the use of donations and enhancing the wellbeing of citizens in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Keywords
Foreign aid, sub-Saharan Africa, PARTNERSHIP, donor, policy brief, donations
