Overseas Development Institute (ODI) update

Advanced Summer Course - Conflict, crisis and transitions

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:00:00 -0700

21 - 28 July 2010
University of York

The Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) at the Overseas Development Institute and the Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit (PRDU) at the University of York are partnering to offer the ‘Advanced Summer Course on Conflict, Crisis and Transitions’, a week-long programme targeting mid-career and senior professionals.

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Public event - Vulnerability in developing countries: Book launch

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:30:00 -0800

26 February 2010 12:30-14:30
Overseas Development Institute
Also streamed online

This is the formal launch of a publication, Vulnerability in Developing Countries, where the editors will share some of its main conclusions.

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Public event - A new business model for humanitarian assistance?

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:00:00 -0800

22 February 2010 13:00-14:30
Overseas Development Institute
Also streamed online

This meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss the proposals of the Global Agenda Council on Humanitarian Assistance, for a New Business Model of Humanitarian Assistance.

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Case study - ODI Global Financial Crisis Discussion Papers 19 - Sudan Phase 2

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:00:00 -0800

This study aims at examining the impacts of the global financial crisis on the Sudanese economy. It finds that the crisis has deteriorated the terms of trade, lowered both exports and imports, slowed down foreign direct investment (FDI), caused remittances to drop, lowered aid and widened the deficits in the current account and the balance of payments. Growth declined by 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009, from 10.2% in 2007 and 6% in 2008. Budget revenues declined sharply by more than 50% in 2009 and government expenditures slowed with regard to service delivery, development and transfers to sub-national governments and to the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS).

Expected impacts on stock and financial markets were very low given the lack of direct links to international markets and the absence of foreign investors in the Sudanese market. The Government of National Unity (GNU) responded to the decline in oil revenues by swiftly increasing VAT, from 10% to 15% in 2007 and to 20% on telecommunications in 2008, introducing a development tax of 5% and scaling up customs duties on imported cars and luxuries. It also expanded internal borrowing through the sale of Government Musharaka Certificates and resorted to deficit financing to meet spending needs. Scarcity in foreign currency inflows led to a drawing down on the country’s foreign reserves to finance critical current and development spending.

The government pegged local currency to the euro. This depreciated as a result of deep recession, which led to further depreciation of the Sudanese pound. In turn, incapacity and structural rigidities in the economy meant that Sudanese non-oil exports did not become more competitive.

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ODI Project Briefings 36 - Making sector budget support work for service delivery: an overview

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:00:00 -0800

There has been relatively little systematic evidence on how Sector Based Support (SBS) works in practice, and how effective it is in helping countries improve the delivery of their basic services, such as health and education. This Project Briefing is the first of three emerging from a study of Sector Budget Support in Practice, carried out for the Strategic Partnership with Africa (SPA). The findings and associated recommendations fill a significant gap in current aid policy thinking. This Project Briefing provides an overview of the key findings: that SBS is increasingly popular but under-researched; that access to basic services has improved, but not their quality and equity; and that effective SBS requires less ‘traceability’ and more focus on downstream delivery.

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ODI Project Briefings 37 - Making sector budget support work for service delivery: good practice recommendations

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:00:00 -0800

The second in a series of three Project Briefings on Sector Based Support (SBS), this briefing focuses on good practice recommendations. It finds that complementary SBS and general budget support (GBS) packages are the preferred modalities for support to service delivery, and that funding, dialogue, conditionality and capacity-building practices must change for SBS to realise its promise. It concludes that the required focus on service quality at the front line will not happen automatically

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ODI Project Briefings 38 - Making sector budget support work for service delivery: wider policy implications

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:00:00 -0800

The third and final Project Briefing on Sector Based Support (SBS) examines the wider policy implications of a study on this theme. It finds that incentives are the key to what sector budget support (SBS) does well and what it does badly, and that strengthening service delivery incentives will involve substantial multi-level efforts by SBS donors and partners. It argues that these efforts must address the underlying causes, rather than the symptoms, of weak incentives.

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Public event - Governance and accountability in health care delivery: raising performance in developing and transition countries

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:30:00 -0800

02 February 2010 17:30-19:00
Overseas Development Institute
Also streamed online

Maureen Lewis will present a framework for thinking about governance issues as a way of improving performance in the health sector, and enhancing the impact of investments in the sector.

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Report - Sector Budget Support in Practice: Synthesis Report

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:00:00 -0800

This report focuses on a study on Sector Budget Support (SBS) in Practice for the Strategic Partnership with Africa. The study draws on the experience from the provision of SBS in ten sectors in five different countries to guide future improvements in the use of SBS by partner countries and donors.

This report demonstrates SBS is an important and potentially effective modality for supporting improved service delivery in developing countries. The accompanying good practice note is a starting point for the establishment of better practice in the design and implementation of SBS programmes.

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Report - Sector Budget Support in Practice: Good Practice Note

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:00:00 -0800

This is the Good Practice Note (GPN) for the second phase of a study on Sector Budget Support (SBS) in Practice (SBSIP) for the Strategic Partnership with Africa (SPA). Sector Budget Support is a modality for providing official development assistance which donor agencies are increasingly using to support African countries to achieve their development policy objectives. The overall purpose of the Study is to draw on the experience of SBS in different countries and sectors to guide future improvements in policy and practice by partner countries and donors.

The good practice note is a starting point for the establishment of better practice in the design and implementation of SBS programmes.

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