Apples, Pears and Poverty Reduction: An Assessment of British Bilateral Aid
Abstract
Summaries Aid quality is often investigated using cross?country statistical methods. The article takes a more institutional approach. It reviews British bilateral aid, in order to investigate the complex interaction between policy and practice in aid for poverty reduction. There has been a stated desire to increase the poverty focus of the programme. However, it is difficult to trace the effect of a new policy in the statistics. More important has been the influence of an external factor, the increase in the demand for emergency aid. This has risen from 2 per cent to 14 per cent in a decade, increasing the poverty focus of the programme, but for the ‘wrong’ reason. At the same time, the share of technical cooperation has increased sharply: it is hard to trace the poverty?reducing impact of this form of aid. Statistical analysis which ignores policy shifts and changes in aid composition may be misleading.
Citation
Maxwell, S. (1996) Apples, Pears and Poverty Reduction: An Assessment of British Bilateral Aid. IDS Bulletin 27(1): 109-122DOI
10.1111/j.1759-5436.1996.mp27001010.xIs part of series
IDS Bulletin Vol. 27 Nos. 1Rights holder
© 1996 Institue of Development StudiesCollections
- Volume 27, Issue 1 [10]