Recent donor initiatives

Improving delivery of aid to fragile states, in terms of addressing problems of aid flows, volatility, scale and allocation, is now on the donor agenda. This is evidenced by the OECD-DAC’s Principles of Engagement in Fragile States, and the Good Humanitarian Donorship Initiative, both of which highlight the importance of more predictable and long-term aid. In addition, the signatories of the recent Kinshasa statement on Fragile States, prepared for the September 2008 Accra Agenda on Action, pledge to develop more flexible and rapid funding mechanisms in transition, and to ensure more timely availability of funding. There have also been pledges to provide aid according to need, however this has proven difficult, and studies find that aid is more often allocated according to development criteria, such as governance, programme implementation and absorptive capacity, in addition to the quality of a government’s policy regime.

Donors are also working to rationalise their engagement in health in fragile states through the International Health Partnership, despite the challenges posed by poor governance and low capacity for health system strengthening. This approach aims to develop and implement country compacts that have one country health plan, one results framework, one policy matrix, one budget, one joint monitoring and reporting process and one country-based appraisal and validation process. Implementation of this approach in many fragile states may prove challenging due to poor governance and limited capacity for implementation.