Aid: What Really Works?

Are there generally applicable lessons about what works in terms of development assistance? Perhaps we're closing in on a few, as this article from The New York Times suggests.

Although different situations will likely call for different responses, there do seem to be some common features of successful development projects (ok, so "successful" is extremely difficult to define in this context--does it just mean no harm done? does it mean clearly identifiable and positive outcomes? does it mean increased respect for the donor nation? I recognize this and will now sidestep that issue):

• local participation and buy-in means you can tap into and use local knowledge and you likely get a greater sense of ownership over outcomes;
• direct payments avoid problems associated with working through a centralized ministry or the national treasury (there may be other problems, such as further empowering local elites, but the problem of "where did those millions go?" will be reduced)
• Maybe the bulk of projects should be smaller-scale with local oversight and direction
• Working on a 2 or 3 year development project time-frame is often misguided. Most projects take much longer to come to some kind of fruition.
  

The article talks about small-scale transfers of development assistance directly to rural communities in Afghanistan. Individuals, working through village councils, decide what they most need and are then directly involved in project management -- building schools or water purification systems or roads. Because locals are in charge of the money, they figure out how best to use the resources (they find ways to use resources efficiently because they directly benefit from any savings). So far, results are reported to be good.

This tracks my own research experiences in Africa. The development projects and programs that I see that do good on the ground tend to be small-scale, involve strong and meaningful local participation, and have a longer time horizon. Both commonsensical and deeply radical, this approach recognizes that empowering local people (poor and typically less educated) often works better than top-down planning by elites.

- Karol

(photo is of Kabul).