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Independent research & practical ideas for global prosperity
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Independent research & practical ideas for global prosperity
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Global Prosperity Wonkcast
Archive for March, 2010Connecting Citizens: Twaweza’s Rakesh Rajani on Public Accountability in East AfricaMarch 30, 2010Posted by Lawrence MacDonald in Africa, Globalization, Governance/Democracy Tags: Africa, Democracy, Governance, Rakesh Rajani, Tanzania, Technology
Rakesh tells me that cellphone use has exploded in the last decade in Tanzania, rising from perhaps 200,000 users to over 14 million today. Except for the most remote areas of the country, he says, just about everyone can access a mobile phone. That new connectivity, Rakesh explains, has opened new channels for reducing corruption in government. Podcast: Play in new window | Download 3 Comments »Following the Money: Owen Barder On Why Aid Transparency MattersMarch 22, 2010Posted by Lawrence MacDonald in Aid Effectiveness, Global Development, Rethinking US Foreign Assistance Tags: ICT4D, Owen Barder, Transparency
Owen explains that more easily available aid data would benefit a number of audiences. Researchers and policymakers need the data to study what aid interventions work best. Developed country taxpayers have a right to information on how government is spending their money. Developing country governments need information on donor spending in order to budget their own resources effectively. However, according to Owen, the most important audience for aid data are the citizens of developing countries-the intended beneficiaries of the spending. “They need to hold their government to account, they need to hold service delivery organizations to account,” he says. “And to do that, they need to know what services they should be expecting, what money is being allocated, what’s being spent, so they can make sure they’re getting the services they need.” Podcast: Play in new window | Download 4 Comments »Market Access for the Poor: Kimberly Ann Elliott on Trade Preference ReformMarch 16, 2010Posted by Lawrence MacDonald in Economic Growth, Private Investment, Trade Tags: Investment, Kimberly Ann Elliott, Trade
Trade preferences are a way for countries to offer access to their markets to poor countries, in spite of other import tariffs or quotas that might otherwise apply. Kim tells me that most countries, including a growing number of advanced developing countries, have some form of trade preference program. However, she says, not all of them benefit developing countries very much. “The problem is that these programs are often full of holes,” Kim explains. “They don’t cover everything, in most cases. And what they don’t cover is often what’s most important to the poor countries. It’s things like agriculture, clothing, and footwear that poor countries are especially good at making and exporting.” Podcast: Play in new window | Download 1 Comment »Cash on Delivery Aid: Ayah Mahgoub on COD in EducationMarch 9, 2010Posted by Lawrence MacDonald in Aid Effectiveness, Education, Global Development Tags: Africa, Ayah Mahgoub, COD Aid, Education
I’m joined this week by Ayah Mahgoub, a program coordinator here at the Center for Global Development who works on issues related to the effectiveness of foreign aid. Along with Nancy Birdsall and Bill Savedoff, Ayah is working on designing a new form of development assistance called Cash on Delivery Aid that would pay for progress on specific development outcomes. Nancy summed up the basic idea of the Cash on Delivery approach on a Wonkcast last month—read that post or go here for a short introduction to the idea of COD Aid. While discussions are underway to develop COD aid mechanisms for a number of sectors (including water and health), the initial application is in education. In this sector, a Cash on Delivery contract would pay recipient governments a fixed amount for each additional student who completes primary school and take a standardized test. Ayah is helping to match aid donors and recipient governments who are interested in supporting a pilot of this innovative approach. I asked Ayah to tell us about the countries where the first COD Aid programs might happen: Malawi, Ethiopia, and Liberia. Podcast: Play in new window | Download 6 Comments »Getting Aid Right in Northern Uganda—Interview with Julius Kiiza of Makerere University, KampalaMarch 1, 2010Posted by Lawrence MacDonald in Africa, Aid Effectiveness, Fragile States, Poverty Tags: Africa, Julius Kiiza, Poverty, Uganda
Julius tells me that northern Uganda has presented a difficult paradox for aid donors. For years, the country as a whole has been touted as a success story, and a potential model for other developing countries. It boasts one of the fastest rates of economic growth in all of Africa and has cut poverty nearly in half since 1992. However, Julius explains, the north of the country has made very little progress during that time. While the national poverty rate is around 30%, the poverty rate in the north is still around 60%. Podcast: Play in new window | Download 1 Comment »
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Has technology boosted the ability of citizens in African countries to influence their governments? This week, I’m joined by Rakesh Rajani, founder and head of 
My guest this week is 
This week, I’m joined on the Global Prosperity Wonkcast by 
I’m joined on the Wonkcast this week by 
