Putting Promises into PracticeParis, Accra and the New Aid Architecture in Uganda
Paul Hoebink & Rik Habraken
Centre for International Development Issues Nijmegen (CIDIN)
Putting Promises into Practice
Putting promises into practice• Many studies and evaluations on the implementation of the Paris
Agenda Generic studies
Donor selectivity
Economic outcomes recipient countries
Consistency of donor strategies
Etc.
• In depth case study: Uganda
• Perceptions of bilateral donor agency- and GoU staff involved in
NAA
• Two sets of interviews (2010 & 2011)
Putting Promises into Practice
Uganda
Why is Uganda Interesting?
• Neo-liberal policy reforms in 1992
• Economic growth and recovery; an African star performer
• Aid system already in place: PRSP, SWAp, and GBS
• Proliferation of development partners
42 official donors
Aid highly skewed: 3 donors provide 48% percent of total net ODA
• $1.6 billion USD total net ODA annually
• Strategic partner in Somalia, Congo DR, and Sudan
• First real test-case for the Paris agenda (experimenting ground)
Putting Promises into Practice
Multilaterals in Uganda
Multilateral donors in Uganda (in million USD)
Putting Promises into Practice
Multilateral Donors 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009Total 05-09
% of total multilateral
1.World Bank (IDA) 297,5 269,7 374,1 180,4 395,1 1,516,8 46,8%
2.European Union 83,2 155,5 116,4 258,9 128,0 742,0 22,9%
3.African Development Bank 60,0 104,4 124,7 106,6 111,5 507,2 15,6%
4.Global Fund 41,2 27,7 44,0 7,2 46,9 167,0 5,1%
5.UNICEF 9,6 11,7 18,5 22,4 22,1 84,3 2,6%
Subtotal 491,5 569,0 677,7 575,5 703,6 3,017,3 93,0%
% Of total multilateral 98,4% 92,8% 92,6% 91,1% 91,5% 93,0% 93,0%
% Of total ODA 41,2% 39,4% 39,0% 35,1% 39,4% 38,1% 38,1%
(OECD 2011)
Bilaterals in Uganda
Bilateral donors in Uganda (in million USD)
Putting Promises into Practice
(OECD 2011)
Bilateral Donors 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009Total 05-09
% of total bilateral
1. USA 228,8 246,2 301,6 352,9 368,9 1,498,4 32,2%
2. UK 55,6 214,4 166,1 65,7 117,4 619,2 13,3%
3. Denmark 63,7 78,5 109,9 82,6 93,5 428,2 9,2%
4. The Netherlands 80,1 82,4 70,4 82,9 45,0 360,8 7,8%
5. Ireland 47,8 57,8 65,9 80,9 64,5 316,9 6,8%
6. Norway 45,5 50,5 69,8 75,0 67,3 308,1 6,6%
7. Sweden 47,9 62,6 56,6 64,1 52,7 283,9 6,1%
8. Germany 51,4 54,6 47,6 37,8 60,1 251,5 5,4%
Subtotal 620,8 847,0 887,9 838,9 869,4 4,067,0 87,5%
% Of total bilateral 89,9% 90,3% 88,3% 83,4% 85,8% 87,5% 87,5%
% Of total ODA 52,1% 54,5% 51,1% 51,1% 48,7% 51,4% 51,4%
Total bilateral 690,8 938,4 1,002,7 1,005,7 1,013,3 4,650,9 100,0%
Aid architecture in Uganda
What has happened?• Uganda Joint Assistance Strategy
• Division of Labour Exercise
• (Unearmarked) general budget support
• Joint Budget Support Framework / Joint Assistance Framework
• Local Development Partners’ Group (26 – 28 donors)
World Bank as permanent chair
Open to all official donors (not restricted to DAC members etc.)
+/- 15 Development Partner Groups (theme based)
Related to DP – GoU interfaces; Sector- or Technical Working Groups
Putting Promises into Practice
Donor- and GoU perceptionsImplementation of the Paris Declaration in Uganda; A Verdict• Reducing Transaction costs for GoU
• Capacity building and PFM strengthening (MoFPED)
• Provides a platform (donor front) to encounter GoU
• Priorities set by GoU
• (Most) important donor(s) (e.g. USAID) do not participate in GBS
• Priority- and indicator setting predominate implementation
• Reluctance from GoU to take up implementation
• Lack of flexibility
• Difficult to formulate a common position (political vs. apolitical)
‘New Aid Architecture has become a technical process’
Putting Promises into Practice
Donor attitudes
Changing donor attitudes; from appraisal to scepticism
• 3rd and 4th presidential term of Museveni; not an African renaissance
leader after all?
• Army spending; ‘budget indiscipline’
• Rampant corruption GFATM, CHOGM, GAVI, infrastructure
• GoU compliance culture; service delivery in deteriorating state
• General budget support decreasing / aid cuts
• Political and institutional conditions decisive for NAA
• But for many donors Uganda remains a strategic partner in Central /
East Africa
Putting Promises into Practice