Aid effectiveness and good governance reform

Thuy, Vi Tran (2013) Aid effectiveness and good governance reform. Masters by Coursework thesis, Murdoch University.

Abstract

This paper examines the effectiveness of ODA investment in good governance reform in aid recipient countries. The emergence of good governance-related aid since the 1990s has marked a turning point in development discourse. Under this new aid regime, no matter how donors see good governance reform, as an objective or conditionality, their primary purpose is to build a modern state with a transparent, responsive, accountable, effective and efficient governmental system. The common rationale of donor community is that good governance reform will increase aid effectiveness, as it will lead to an enabling environment for economic development and poverty reduction. This perception of donors influences their approaches to good governance reform. From a critical engagement with donors’ advocacy of good governance reforms, this paper goes on to argue that donors’ interventions in practice does not necessarily result in positive development outcomes, but sometimes in fact decreases the quality of already poor-performing institutions. The shortfalls regarding the political commitment of aid recipients and capacity building approach of donors in good governance reform are clearly visible. The case study of the Supporting Public Administration Reform Project (2007-2010) in Vietnam further enhances this argument. In order to increase the effectiveness of ODA investment in aid recipients, it is vital to focus attention on the development and engagement of civil society, not only in the implementation and oversight of international development assistance programs, but for the benefit of home-grown socio-economic development initiatives.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters by Coursework)
Murdoch Affiliation(s):	School of Social Sciences and Humanities
Notes:	Note to the author: If you would like to make your thesis openly available on Murdoch University Library's Research Repository, please contact: repository@murdoch.edu.au. Thank you.
Supervisor(s):	Hutchison, Jane
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/41701

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