Putting Promises into PracticeParis, Accra and the New Aid Architecture in Uganda

Paul Hoebink & Rik Habraken

Centre for International Development Issues Nijmegen (CIDIN)

Putting Promises into Practice

Putting promises into practice• Many studies and evaluations on the implementation of the Paris

Agenda Generic studies

Donor selectivity

Economic outcomes recipient countries

Consistency of donor strategies

Etc.

• In depth case study: Uganda

• Perceptions of bilateral donor agency- and GoU staff involved in

NAA

• Two sets of interviews (2010 & 2011)

Putting Promises into Practice

Uganda

Why is Uganda Interesting?

• Neo-liberal policy reforms in 1992

• Economic growth and recovery; an African star performer

• Aid system already in place: PRSP, SWAp, and GBS

• Proliferation of development partners

42 official donors

Aid highly skewed: 3 donors provide 48% percent of total net ODA

• $1.6 billion USD total net ODA annually

• Strategic partner in Somalia, Congo DR, and Sudan

• First real test-case for the Paris agenda (experimenting ground)

Putting Promises into Practice

Multilaterals in Uganda

Multilateral donors in Uganda (in million USD)

Putting Promises into Practice

Multilateral Donors 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009Total 05-09

% of total multilateral

1.World Bank (IDA) 297,5 269,7 374,1 180,4 395,1 1,516,8 46,8%

2.European Union 83,2 155,5 116,4 258,9 128,0 742,0 22,9%

3.African Development Bank 60,0 104,4 124,7 106,6 111,5 507,2 15,6%

4.Global Fund 41,2 27,7 44,0 7,2 46,9 167,0 5,1%

5.UNICEF 9,6 11,7 18,5 22,4 22,1 84,3 2,6%

Subtotal 491,5 569,0 677,7 575,5 703,6 3,017,3 93,0%

% Of total multilateral 98,4% 92,8% 92,6% 91,1% 91,5% 93,0% 93,0%

% Of total ODA 41,2% 39,4% 39,0% 35,1% 39,4% 38,1% 38,1%

(OECD 2011)

Bilaterals in Uganda

Bilateral donors in Uganda (in million USD)

Putting Promises into Practice

(OECD 2011)

Bilateral Donors 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009Total 05-09

% of total bilateral

1. USA 228,8 246,2 301,6 352,9 368,9 1,498,4 32,2%

2. UK 55,6 214,4 166,1 65,7 117,4 619,2 13,3%

3. Denmark 63,7 78,5 109,9 82,6 93,5 428,2 9,2%

4. The Netherlands 80,1 82,4 70,4 82,9 45,0 360,8 7,8%

5. Ireland 47,8 57,8 65,9 80,9 64,5 316,9 6,8%

6. Norway 45,5 50,5 69,8 75,0 67,3 308,1 6,6%

7. Sweden 47,9 62,6 56,6 64,1 52,7 283,9 6,1%

8. Germany 51,4 54,6 47,6 37,8 60,1 251,5 5,4%

Subtotal 620,8 847,0 887,9 838,9 869,4 4,067,0 87,5%

% Of total bilateral 89,9% 90,3% 88,3% 83,4% 85,8% 87,5% 87,5%

% Of total ODA 52,1% 54,5% 51,1% 51,1% 48,7% 51,4% 51,4%

Total bilateral 690,8 938,4 1,002,7 1,005,7 1,013,3 4,650,9 100,0%

Aid architecture in Uganda

What has happened?• Uganda Joint Assistance Strategy

• Division of Labour Exercise

• (Unearmarked) general budget support

• Joint Budget Support Framework / Joint Assistance Framework

• Local Development Partners’ Group (26 – 28 donors)

World Bank as permanent chair

Open to all official donors (not restricted to DAC members etc.)

+/- 15 Development Partner Groups (theme based)

Related to DP – GoU interfaces; Sector- or Technical Working Groups

Putting Promises into Practice

Donor- and GoU perceptionsImplementation of the Paris Declaration in Uganda; A Verdict• Reducing Transaction costs for GoU

• Capacity building and PFM strengthening (MoFPED)

• Provides a platform (donor front) to encounter GoU

• Priorities set by GoU

• (Most) important donor(s) (e.g. USAID) do not participate in GBS

• Priority- and indicator setting predominate implementation

• Reluctance from GoU to take up implementation

• Lack of flexibility

• Difficult to formulate a common position (political vs. apolitical)

‘New Aid Architecture has become a technical process’

Putting Promises into Practice

Donor attitudes

Changing donor attitudes; from appraisal to scepticism

• 3rd and 4th presidential term of Museveni; not an African renaissance

leader after all?

• Army spending; ‘budget indiscipline’

• Rampant corruption GFATM, CHOGM, GAVI, infrastructure

• GoU compliance culture; service delivery in deteriorating state

• General budget support decreasing / aid cuts

• Political and institutional conditions decisive for NAA

• But for many donors Uganda remains a strategic partner in Central /

East Africa

Putting Promises into Practice