Development Initiatives

Client:Department for International Development (DFID)

Assignment:The International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) is a new initiative which aims to make information about aid spending easier to access, use and understand.

Lead Consultant:Carolyn Culey

Output:Wrote the IATI Scoping Paper, which set out the potential scope of IATI, what information could be covered and outlined some recommendations for how IATI could achieve its goals. Currently acting as Secretariat for the Technical Advisory Group (a stakeholder group set up to provide advice and guidance to IATI) - TAG.

Date:2008 onwards

Further information:

http://www.aidinfo.org/iati-news
http://aidtransparency.net/

Client:SIDA  and DFID– 2 studies commissioned by the Financing and Aid Architecture Task Team of the OECD DAC International Network on Conflict and Fragility (INCAF)

Assignment:Mapping of donor policies and procedures and mapping of financing tools and instruments in transition situations.

Lead Consultant:Tasneem Mowjee supported by Judith Randel

Output:A report outlining donor policies and procedures at headquarters level and pooled funding mechanisms in six country cases studies – Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Southern Sudan and Timor-Leste. The report highlights the challenge posed by an aid architecture divided into ‘humanitarian’ and ‘development’ for effective funding in transition situations. It advocates that aid actors should focus on the objectives to be achieved and align instruments with these rather than taking budget lines and agency mandates as their starting point for assistance. The report will be published as an OECD-DAC framing paper that will guide the Task Team’s future work.

Date:2009

Client:DAC International Network on Conflict and Fragility (INCAF)

Assignment:2010 Report on monitoring resource flows to fragile states

Lead Consultant:Dan Coppard with support from Asma Zubairi

Output:Work in progress. The report will present the most up-to-date and comprehensive assessment of resource flows to fragile states, together with an assessment of the impact of the financial crisis.

Date:2009/10

Client:AusAid

Assignment:Analysis of the international humanitarian architecture as an input into AusAiD’s update of its Humanitarian Action Policy

Lead Consultant:Tasneem Mowjee supported by Dan Coppard

Output:A summary of key trends, emerging actors and recent developments in international humanitarian assistance. The report highlights issues that AusAID should consider when updating its Humanitarian Action Policy.

Date:2009

Client:African Partnership Forum (APF) and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

Assignment:Phase I – to develop an online database of commitments for African development. Phase II – to maintain the web site.

Lead Consultant:Dan Coppard supported by Simon Parrish, Shane Griffiths and Kerry Smith

Output:Created an online searchable database enabling users to track declarations and commitments made by Heads of State at high level international summits. It brings together a wealth of knowledge on African issues and a shared commitment to promote greater transparency and accountability.

Date:2008/10

Client:ActionAid as part of a consortium of 7 NGOs (ActionAid, Care, Cafod, ICVA, International Rescue Committee, Save the Children and Oxfam)

Assignment:First phase of a three-year DFID-funded project, NGOs and Humanitarian Reform, aiming to strengthen the effective engagement of international and national NGOs in humanitarian reform mechanisms.

Lead Consultant:Tasneem Mowjee

Output:Mapping of the implementation of humanitarian reforms in five countries – Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Sudan and Zimbabwe. Of these, DI undertook the case studies in the DRC and Ethiopia. The studies aimed to provide an overview of NGO engagement in humanitarian reform mechanisms, which will act as a baseline against which the project can measure its achievements in strengthening NGO participation in these mechanisms and increasing accountability to beneficiaries.

Date:2008/09

Client:Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (sub-contract with COWI)

Assignment:Revision of the 2002 strategic priorities in Danish humanitarian assistance.

Lead Consultant:Tasneem Mowjee, Dan Coppard and Christina Jespersen (independent consultant)

Output:Development Initiatives was responsible for the Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) review component of the project, which comprised 3 elements: a review of the internal decision-making processes and funding patterns to assess whether these are in line with GHD principles; an examination as to the extent to which the humanitarian aid programme fits within the broader humanitarian aid programme; and to provide the Ministry with some options for prioritising its humanitarian assistance. The review helped to shape Denmark’s 2009 humanitarian strategy.

Date:2008/09

Client:Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC) - an international partnership of universities, research institutes and NGOs.

Assignment:Focus attention on chronic poverty; stimulate national and international debate; deepen understanding of the causes of chronic poverty; and provide research, analysis and policy guidance that will contribute to its reduction.

Lead Consultant:Tony German

Output:Working with HelpAge International to support CPRC’s agenda

Date:2006/09

Client:OCHA

Assignment:We were engaged in a study with the Feinstein International Center (FIC) at Tufts University that explored the implications of climate change for the future financial costs of humanitarian assistance. The work modelled the relationship between extreme hydro-meteorological events, recorded disasters, international humanitarian response and international humanitarian spending.

Lead Consultant:Dan Coppard

Output:The Report provided projections of financial humanitarian assistance costs of climate change, presented a critique of existing data and offered a range of recommendations. These were distributed at the December 2008 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan. The report was later published in the September 2009 volume of Environmental Hazards.

Date:2008

Client:OCHA

Assignment:We were engaged in a study with the Feinstein International Center (FIC) at Tufts University that explored the implications of climate change for the future financial costs of humanitarian assistance. The work modelled the relationship between extreme hydro-meteorological events, recorded disasters, international humanitarian response and international humanitarian spending.

Lead Consultant:Dan Coppard

Output:The Report provided projections of financial humanitarian assistance costs of climate change, presented a critique of existing data and offered a range of recommendations. These were distributed at the December 2008 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan. The report was later published in the September 2009 volume of Environmental Hazards.

Date:2008

Further information:

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900sid/STRI-7P8SZ2/$file/tufts-dec2008.pdf?openelement
http://www.earthscan.co.uk/?tabid=37213

Client:ONE International

Assignment:Provide research, monitoring and analysis on the extent to which G8 countries are fulfilling commitments made on progress towards the MDGs.

Lead Consultant:Dan Coppard with support from Asma Zubairi and Rob Tew

Output:We have provided analysis and advice on development assistance financing on ‘The Data Report‘ since 2005. Keeping political leaders to their aid commitments focuses attention on poverty elimination, raises awareness of key poverty related goals, and helps use information and analysis to promote accountability.

Date:2006/09

Further information:

http://one.org/international/datareport2009/

Client:ONE International

Assignment:Analysis of donor government budgets against ODA financing

Lead Consultant:Rob Tew with support from Dan Coppard, Asma Zubairi and Shane Griffiths.

Output:This is ‘Work in Progress’. The programme will map and monitor the relationship between budgets and ODA levels in key donor countries. By presenting real time analysis on a dedicated open access website, together with providing technical advice, it will enable national and international groups to assess the likely impact of budgets on future aid levels and to enable more effective promotion of accountability for aid promises.

Date:2009/11

Further information:

http://www.budget4change.org

Client:World Food Programme

Assignment:Analysis Contribute to the development of WFPs resourcing strategy – focus specifically on pooled funding mechanisms

Lead Consultant:Tasneem Mowjee

Output:Two reports, one of which was designed to contribute to WFP’s Resourcing Strategy document. It analysed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks that pooled funding mechanisms (PFMs) pose for WFP. It also examined how they fit with WFP’s strategic objectives and suggested ways in which WFP could increase funding from these mechanisms. The second report was a background paper outlining relevant PFMs, highlighting their objectives and key characteristics. This was intended as a reference document for WFP staff members.

Date:2008

Client:UNDP Somalia

Assignment:Design of financing options for the reconstruction and development framework in Somalia.

Lead Consultant:Tasneem Mowjee

Output:Options for establishing a Multi-Donor Trust Fund and other mechanisms for financing Somalia’s Reconstruction and Development Framework.

Date:2007