Comments

I think this ODI paper by May Miller-Dawkins (http://www.odi.org/publications/8813-global-goals-international-agreements-lessons-design-sustainable-development-goals) provides an interesting take on why "it’s possible that Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-fatigue will lead to settling for practical, achievable goals and targets over ambitious principles that strengthen norms and give national groups a further point of leverage". She argues that we might need to look at the SDGs as more like international human rights and environmental agreements than international development programmes or targets.

Excellent review of what's ahead; 2015 begins the first year in many when all 26 or so Pacific Islands states, territories and areas with self government have elected leadership. One hopes this tremendous accomplishment will magnify the potential achievements of regional bodies, but also local community-economic decision making.

Policy change as well as induction of local population to impart their hands and skills should be encouraged along with free skill training so that the local people will feel ownership in the development and improvement in their life styles.

For a poor nation like Timor Leste, the best option is to slowly improve their existing living conditions giving due consideration to the local population priorities. Community participation is THE KEY for a success in these cases as I have witnessed in poor areas project in Pakistan.

It is immaterial as to how much portion of aid you spend and how much you keep in reserve. The main criteria should be the investment should have a possible higher tangible returns - else the nations get into the burden of loans that keep on increasing to a staggering proportion with time.

We should be careful to learn from the past experience as nations loose their investments without them and get deeper and deeper in financial burden with time with little tangible returns.

Hello! It is not uncommon in deprived communities that aid money gets lost within the process. I had been involved in such irrigation projects in Balochistan area of Pakistan for 6 years and have observed that without community participation, the chances of success are very small. I studied Social Engineering later and came to know that a comprehensive Monitoring & Evaluation consultancy for community welfare projects is a necessity. Moreover, at least a basic level Value Engineering analysis should also be carried out at the time of initial planning and design of projects to see if the investments goes in the right direction and choose best available options. I am planning to establish a consultancy office for Value Engineering and Monitoring & Evaluation in Dili (Timor Leste) and would appreciate if anyone can share their views on the same with me and with possible local partnership. You can always contact me directly through my email: mohsiniqbal1957@gmail.com

Thanks Scott, Interesting post. One other intriguing way of thinking about poverty lines (similar to your suggestions above) is to fit them round some of the stylised 'kinks' that exist in development outcomes. One of these being the inflection point of the Preston Curve --> the point beyond which a dramatic reduction in the marginal health benefits of increased income occurs. There's a good discussion of this from page 14 onwards in at the link: http://www.ipc-undp.org/pub/IPCPovertyInFocus9.pdf Hope all's good. Terence

Very good points, Sarah and Robin. I'd add that getting relevant Committee experience is useful, too.

Note also that Melissa Parke, Minister for International Development in the short-lived second Rudd Labor government, had extensive international experience as a legal adviser with the UN in Kosovo, Gaza, New York and Lebanon, and that Brett Mason, until recently Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, did have a stint as a legal adviser with the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia. Some kind of an international perspective is undoubtedly useful in a politician with aid responsibilities. More important, though, is a critical receptiveness to well-founded departmental advice - as Sarah says below. Alexander Downer and Stephen Smith knew nothing about aid when appointed to the foreign ministry. They didn't necessarily think their departmental advisers were all geniuses, but they considered advice carefully and generally accepted it.

Malo Fuimaono I deliberately left the economic predictions to the economists!! I think all of the points you raise are important and I would particularly like to know more about the impact of the TPP in the region as this is something I have not seen examined meaningfully up to now.

Sam, I'd note that former Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance Bob McMullan was very well qualified for his role with a background in international development, economics and trade (and was much loved by his Agency), and he is now an Executive Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Likewise former Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs Duncan Kerr had extensive networks and experience in the Pacific. The question is, can we secure this expertise on an ongoing basis? Given that most politicians lack expertise in aid, it seems unlikely - but then, few Ministers come to their portfolios with subject expertise, which makes the advice of their bureaucrats so important.