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A Framework for Understanding Aid Effectiveness Determinants, Strategies and Tradeoffs

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  • Stephen Howes

Abstract

Prominent reform agendas for aid abound. How do they relate to each other? This article tries to organise the aid reform literature by proposing a general framework for thinking about the determinants of aid effectiveness and strategies for improving the same. It presents three schools of thought on aid effectiveness: the recipient, donor and transaction costs schools. It argues that none of the reform agendas proposed by these schools dominates. Although actual aid reform agendas will combine elements of all three schools, there are in fact important tradeoffs between the recipient and the donor school reform agendas, and between the transaction costs and the donor school reform agendas. Contrary to the clarion calls of prominent aid reform advocates, aid reform in practice is a messy and difficult business.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen Howes, 2014. "A Framework for Understanding Aid Effectiveness Determinants, Strategies and Tradeoffs," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 1(1), pages 58-72, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:asiaps:v:1:y:2014:i:1:p:58-72
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1002/app5.15
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    8. Arnab Acharya & Ana Teresa Fuzzo de Lima & Mick Moore, 2006. "Proliferation and fragmentation: Transactions costs and the value of aid," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(1), pages 1-21.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jo Hall, 2021. "Assessing the effectiveness of development co‐operation: Method matters," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 39(2), pages 266-282, March.
    2. Stephen Howes, 2017. "Aid and Development: A Brief Introduction," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 93(303), pages 656-657, December.
    3. Jale Samuwai & Jeremy Maxwell Hills, 2018. "Assessing Climate Finance Readiness in the Asia-Pacific Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-18, April.
    4. Svea Koch & Stefan Leiderer & Jörg Faust & Nadia Molenaers, 2017. "The rise and demise of European budget support: political economy of collective European Union donor action," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 35(4), pages 455-473, July.

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