Making Aid Effective


When a few dollars can mean the difference between whether a poor child has enough to eat or not, whether a new micro-enterprise gets the small credit needed to open its doors, or whether a school can pay its teachers, the importance of effective and efficient aid becomes very clear. Yet the planning and management of large economic aid programs in developing countries has never been easy.

DGF is using Web-based technologies to strengthen resource management and increase transparency so aid can yield greater, more measurable results for those who need it most.


Increasing the Impact of Aid

In 2003, international donors pledged to change the way aid is delivered and managed. They emphasized the need to rely more on developing country governments, while improving coordination and information sharing among all stakeholders.

Over 100 countries laid down a practical, action-orientated plan in 2005. The international Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness sets out steps for donors to harmonize and align their aid with partner countries’ development strategies. It also calls for strengthening partner country institutions and systems, particularly for government procurement, public financial management, and results-based program management.


Delivering the Tools

The increased use of information and communications technologies is critical to success, and DGF’s programs all directly or indirectly support that. With respect to specific actions outlined in the Paris Declaration, DGF created the Aid Management Platform (AMP) in cooperation with key development partners. AMP is a Web-based tool to help governments and their donors track, report, monitor, and manage aid programs and funds.

DGF also works with donors to provide the largest online directory of official development aid activities, called AiDA. To help coordinate local aid and relief efforts, we have released a Local Projects Database software tool under open source licensing.

For those looking for additional tools or information, we host an online community focused on aid effectiveness issues for development professionals, in dgCommunities.