Development Initiatives | Past Featured Articles

Past Featured Articles

Tracking resources for poverty reduction

March 2008 – Development Initiatves has launched aidinfo, a major new effort to improve the transparency and timeliness of data on aid resources for poverty reduction.

The ultimate goal is detailed 20/20 information, available in real time, which would enable:

people in poor countries to find out what donors are funding – how much money is coming in to the country, where it has been spent and on what terms – a level of accountability that can help build the social contract between people and their governments
governments in developing countries to manage resources more effectively – an essential part of the shift from donorship to ownership
donors, NGOs and firms to plan future activities – thereby increasing the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of aid on poverty
people in rich countries to find out more quickly exactly where and how their money has been spent – and the impact it has had
researchers, journalists, parliamentarians and advocacy organisations access to information that can help focus resources on areas in greatest need and also help people to check whether governments are delivering on timetabled commitments.

While aidinfo.org is under construction, you might like to read What is aidinfo? (PDF) >

You can also email or call Victoria Room on +44 1749 671343 for further details about the programme and how to get involved.

aidinfo is a partnership between Development Initiatives, Brigham Young University, The College of William and Mary and the Stimson Institute, with grant funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Towards a new humanitarian architecture?

December 2006 – Humanitarian assistance and aid for long-term poverty reduction were high on the political agenda in 2005:

international pledges to countries affected by the tsunami totalled US$14 billion
bilateral humanitarian assistance from DAC donors rose by 15% to reach US$8.4 billion
54 donors committed US$272 million to the newly expanded central emergency response fund (CERF)
pilots for the new needs analysis framework (NAF) were completed and should be implemented in about 75% of 2006's consolidated appeals
common funding mechanisms have been established to allow donors to provide unearmarked funds for use at the discretion of the UN humanitarian coordinator.

This is very positive news. But, as the Global Humanitarian Assistance 2006 report reveals, the political focus and funding levels need to be sustained and increased in order to provide adequate and equitable response to those most in need.

Global Humanitarian Assistance 2006 > (3MB)

For the latest > globalhumanitarianassistance.org

DATA launches 2006 progress report on G8 promises to Africa

July 2006 – the G8 nations made a number of historic commitments to Africa at their 2005 Summit in Gleneagles including: cancelling unsustainable debt for the poorest countries; increasing development assistance; agreeing to a trade system that works for Africa; fighting HIV/AIDS and malaria while strengthening health systems; expanding access to education, clean water and sanitation; and increased support for good governance, peacekeeping efforts, humanitarian responses and agricultural development and infrastructure. How are they doing against these goals?

Development Initiatives is pleased to be working to assist DATA, the international advocacy NGO established by Bono and Bob Geldof, to measure progress on the G8's historic promises to Africa. DATA's analysis identifies clear markers by which the world can measure whether the G8 are on track to fulfil the 2010 promises made to Africa, and thereby clearly challenge the G8 to keep the promise. It also offers a challenge to statisticians and data gatherers - can we improve the quality of information and the methods employed to evaluate this progress?

DATA 2006 Report > (1MB)

For the latest > Our current work with DATA >

Global aid up in 2004 ... but not enough to meet MDGs

April 2005 – provisional figures for ODA in 2004 from all DAC donors were released by the DAC on 11 April 2005. The 2004 figures show a real terms increase of 4.6% – with aid up to $78.6 billions in 2004 from $72.4 billions in 2003 (2003 prices). Whilst this increase follows a 4.3% rise from 2002 to 2003, global aid still falls far short of what is needed to reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.