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"'Country ownership' when there is no social contract : towards a realistic perspective'


Document type: lecture
Download file(s): 483506 (103 KB) 483507 (295 KB)
Abstract: If the idea of ‘country ownership’ is to help improve aid for development, it needs to be realistic about the likely political drivers of development effort in poor countries. Too much of the current approach to aid effectiveness is based on wishful thinking. This lecture will discuss reasons for not expecting the early emergence of a social contract of a liberaldemocratic type in the poorest developing countries, and therefore for rejecting a ‘best practice’ approach to governance improvement and so-called democratic ownership. Instead, more effort needs to be devoted to recognising more and less developmental types of neo-patrimonial regime and to supporting development in a politically intelligent way. Research from the Africa Power & Politics Programme (www.institutions-africa.org) will be drawn upon to illustrate what this might mean and why it provides the best basis for directing aid towards country-owned development efforts. , If the idea of ‘country ownership’ is to help improve aid for development, it needs to be realistic about the likely political drivers of development effort in poor countries. Too much of the current approach to aid effectiveness is based on wishful thinking. This lecture will discuss reasons for not expecting the early emergence of a social contract of a liberaldemocratic type in the poorest developing countries, and therefore for rejecting a ‘best practice’ approach to governance improvement and so-called democratic ownership. Instead, more effort needs to be devoted to recognising more and less developmental types of neo-patrimonial regime and to supporting development in a politically intelligent way. Research from the Africa Power & Politics Programme (www.institutions-africa.org) will be drawn upon to illustrate what this might mean and why it provides the best basis for directing aid towards country-owned development efforts.
Authors: Booth, D. , Booth, D.
Series Title: SID-NL Lecture Series 2010-2011 : “Global values in a changing world” : synergy of state and society in a globalized world , SID-NL Lecture Series 2010-2011 : “Global values in a changing world” : synergy of state and society in a globalized world
Category: General , General
Serial number: 3 , 3
Keywords: development policy , globalization , political conditions , development policy , globalization , political conditions
Language: eng , eng
Organization: SID NL - Society for International Development Netherlands Chapter , SID NL - Society for International Development Netherlands Chapter
PAGE: [2] , [2]
Place: [The Hague] , [The Hague]
Publisher: SID NL , SID NL
Year: 2010 , 2010
Region: Global , Global
Right: © 2010 SID NL , © 2010 SID NL
Subject: Development Cooperation General , Development Cooperation General
Title: "'Country ownership' when there is no social contract : towards a realistic perspective' , "'Country ownership' when there is no social contract : towards a realistic perspective'