Ownership in focus?: discussion paper for a planned evaluation

This paper takes a closer look at the concept of ownership as it has been defined by Sida and others and reviews some established beliefs about the causes and effects of weak partner country ownership. It concludes with a presentation of a set of issues that should be considered in an evaluation concerned with ownership. Its main purpose is to encourage discussion among Sida staff and others about the focus and scope of a planned formative evaluation of ownership in development co-operation supported by Sida. As it has been planned, the evaluation will describe development co-operation in an ownership perspective, explain identified discrepancies between ownership in policy and ownership in practice, and suggest ways by which Sida, single-handed or conjointly with others, could achieve closer harmony between concept and action.

On the basis of the discussion in this paper, paper concludes that the following are important subject areas for the intended evaluation to consider:

• ownership in country strategy processes
• from project approaches to programme approaches
• ownership as a consideration in project identification and selection
• ownership in project implementation and follow-up
• reforming project support
• projects in support of partner country ownership
• enhancing "popular ownership"
• co-operation and co-ordination with other donors
• advocacy for ownership