MDGs
Foresight: some reflections on the aid consequences of missing the 2015 MDGs
Should donors strictly adhere to the MDG agenda?
Authors:
F. Grimard (ed)
Publisher:
Centre for Developing-Area Studies, McGill University, 2008
The paper reflects on the consequences of missing the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets. It alludes to the change in donor countries’ foreign aid policies over time and points out that they now engage the recipient countries in a process that has a common outcome and timeframe - the MDGs.
The paper horizon-scans to discuss the possible implications of the continued adherence to the MDG agenda which binds donors to a standard performance in 7 years. It warns of the consequences should countries fail to achieve the level of performance. It counsels that it might be better to use a more balanced approach of keeping the MDGs as distant targets while doing more work on issues of results and performance so that better assessments of aid delivery can be communicated to the public.
It discusses the MDGs in the context of the aid effectiveness compact that donors and recipients have agreed upon. It speculates whether the recipients will be able to reach the ambitious targets and whether it is worthwhile for donors to stay with this course of aid effectiveness. In the discussion, it does not include MDGs of the ‘fragile states’ because they are more likely to succeed.
It offers the following recommendations for a more balanced approach:
- there has to be better communication strategies for the aid effectiveness agenda
- project based approaches should be improved
- there should be better coordination between the actions of donors and recipients in terms of getting MDG results
- project and program based approaches should be employed in tandem
- monitoring and evaluation should be improved.
