Effectiveness of implementation of aid: practices to increase the impact of aid
In terms effectiveness of aid, the action of Germany is at three levels, with more or less success: (i) at international level and within the European Union (EU), (ii) at national level, and (iii) in partner countries.
Internationally, Germany is playing a leading role within the EU and the Working Party on aid effectiveness in ensuring an efficient division of labor. After the fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness to be held in Korea in 2011, Germany is encouraged to continue to demonstrate the same commitment to a sustainable and open international dialogue on aid effectiveness and wonder on how it could more effectively support the implementation of broad commitments in this area.
At the national level and partner countries, the BMZ has set up in 2005 an action plan for implementing the Paris Declaration (Germany was the first donor to this initiative) . Then he developed a manual for the effectiveness of development aid for the German aid system in 2006, started training for its staff and executing agencies, and produced an updated version of its plan Action in 2009.
Germany has participated in surveys to monitor the implementation of the Paris Declaration made in 2006 and 2008, which highlighted an improvement in its performance against all key indicators contained in the Declaration of Paris. The latter, however, leaves much to be desired in terms of the use of national systems of public financial management and common arrangements and joint missions.
It is unlikely that Germany would succeed in reaching the goals it has set in these areas for 2010. The plan April Action 2009 aims to consolidate its true performance, in particular through more systematic use of structures and procedures of partner countries, but Germany must surely accelerate its implementation.
Achieving the 2010 targets will require considerable effort on the part of officials, including correspondents for aid effectiveness within the BMZ and the agents responsible for monitoring progress in implementing agencies .
Increase untying of bilateral ODA German
In the DAC, the average rates of untying of bilateral aid and technical cooperation were respectively 81% and 61% for 2008. For the same year the notifications were out of Germany to 77% from its bilateral aid was untied, the remaining fraction being bound. Always the same year, 41% of the German Technical Cooperation has been reported to be unrelated.
Germany is therefore below the average DAC, particularly with regard to technical cooperation. To meet its commitments under the Accra Action Agenda, it set a plan and a realistic timetable to increase the rate of untying of aid.
financial assistance and food aid from Germany are almost completely untied and BMZ is now focusing on further untying technical cooperation and humanitarian aid (77% of the latter are currently connected). In its plans for releasing a greater proportion of its aid, Germany should therefore focus increasing flows of non-cooperation.
Learning experience on specific topics: capacity building
Capacity building is an objective of the activities of German development cooperation for many years . Technical cooperation has always been the main instrument used by Germany to promote capacity-building, but over time, attention has shifted to strengthening the technical skills individuals and consolidation of local organizations to improve the legislative, economic, social, ecological and policy in developing countries.
Surprisingly, given the emphasis on the issue, Germany does not yet harmonized definition of capacity, nor has it stopped the subject a clear strategy combined for all its cooperation for development.
BMZ should clarify its design capacity, based on his experience sector, and develop a strategy on how all the instruments and German aid agencies can contribute to capacity building. This should provide clarification on how technical cooperation can be more efficiently connected and combined with other modalities and aid instruments (such as program-based approaches, budget support and sectoral approaches). Germany will also be expected to develop practical guidance on how the principles of capacity building and technical cooperation may be better placed at the service of consolidating the State in situations of conflict or fragility.
Germany should take advantage of the planned merger of its three technical cooperation agencies to rethink the role of this instrument in a process of capacity building led by partner countries. The reforms implemented will help increase the involvement of partner countries in the selection and evaluation of technical assistance personnel, and ensure that the technical cooperation agencies are passing the objectives of capacity building requirements before contractual delivery and set up adequate mechanisms monitoring and evaluation. Germany should also ensure that its technical cooperation activities have no negative impacts on the labor market and the capacities of partner countries.
Germany improves the coordination of its technical cooperation activities with other donors, and in 2007, a total of 73% of German funding allocated to this instrument were subjected to an alignment on strategies partners and coordination with other donors. Moreover, in some cases, the German Technical Cooperation is part aligned devices, notably in the form of funds for technical assistance. BMZ and GTZ are currently preparing guidance for the pooling of resources for technical assistance, which goes in the right direction.
In this case, emphasis should be placed on strengthening the ability of partner countries to (i) identify their own needs for capacity building and areas where technical assistance s' imposes, and (ii) manage the selection, procurement, deployment and use of technical services.
Environment and Climate Change
The role of leader qu'endosse Germany international and interdepartmental issues of environment and climate change should be welcomed. Germany is firmly committed to the field of environment and climate change for two decades.
In recent years, climate protection has taken on greater importance in German development cooperation, BMZ and expenses related to climate have increased by 40% between 2008 and 2009. In this area, the impetus comes from the highest levels of government.
Very comprehensive policy framework and legal framework on environment and climate change also includes the critical issue of addressing climate change in developing countries. Germany must remain a flagship in terms of international approaches to climate change, and also to respect its international commitments, particularly for the financing of measures "to speedy implementation" of climate change mitigation and adaptation to change and for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD).
The partnership between the BMZ and the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) is an example of good practice in policy coherence for development, and a major component of the German Development Cooperation in the field of climate change. The centerpiece of this partnership is a new financing instrument under which proceeds from sales of emission allowances deCO2 is assigned to the International Initiative for the Protection Climate (ICI).
The funding mechanism of ICI is unparalleled, and could serve as a model for innovative financial proposals in the process of global climate negotiations. BMZ and BMU should aim to make broader and more innovative programs focused on environment and climate change - notably by improving the criteria included in REDD activities relating to national benefits in terms of sustainable development and indigenous rights.
Germany should also expand its programs on Environment and climate change, to extend capacity building in the field of environment, integrating environmental issues into national planning and budgeting, and green growth.
Germany can boast of its progress to make environmental protection a constant in its programs. Since mid-2009, it systematically integrates issues related to climate change in its activities on development cooperation in establishing for all new projects programs and a "diagnosis climate."
work of Germany in this area is to thread a Programme of Action on Climate and Development ". Currently, Germany is preparing to merge this tool "diagnosis climate" with the study of environmental impact (EIA mandatory since 1988) by adding elements of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).
The new "joint environmental assessment and climate" that will result in both aspects strategic (thematic strategy papers and sectoral strategies / joint strategies of donors) and the projects and programs themselves. Germany generally follows the recommendations of the DAC in this area. A systematic and strategic approach is needed to integrate climate change into the program and monitoring efforts, particularly with regard to adaptation.
Lessons learned from the experience of Germany in the integration of environmental issues could prove useful in this regard as well as developing new tools and approaches based on good practices already identified.
Recommendations
To further enhance the effectiveness and impact of its aid, Germany should: continue the progress made to implement implement its action plan for aid effectiveness through greater use of country systems and adapting its instruments to the program approaches placed under the leadership of the country; further untie its technical cooperation and make it be better adapted to the needs of recipient countries and better aligned with national systems; develop a strategy on how all the instruments (beyond technical cooperation) and German aid agencies can contribute to capacity building and how it intends to contribute consolidation of the state in fragile situations, and remain a flagship in terms of international approaches to climate change and meet its international commitments, particularly for the financing of measures "to implement rapid" attenuation climate change and adaptation to change and for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD +).
