Devpolicy news: Global aid paused | Jim Adams on Africa and the Pacific | Growing up in PNG - Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre

Global aid in 2013: a pause before descending
Robin Davies and Michelle la O’

For the second year running, Devpolicy has analysed what the largest member countries of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) have said publicly about their spending intentions for the current year to provide an early estimate of the 2013 global aid spending outcome. The OECD won’t release its first 2013 estimates until April 2014. Last year, though our information base was rough, we predicted the 4% decrease in aid that occurred in 2012. This year, in our new policy brief [pdf], we have refined our approach. We anticipate total aid flows will be between $126 billion and $127 billion, a 0.6% or $700 million increase on the 2012 outcome, which was $125.6 billion. It’s a pause before a further descent, as 2013 aid numbers are propped up by a huge one-off increase in UK aid. Read the summary of the brief on our blog here.

The challenges of aid dependency and economic reform: Africa and the Pacific
Jim Adams, former World Bank vice-president with extensive Africa and Pacific island experience
14 November @ 5.30pm
Molonglo Theatre, Level 2, JG Crawford Building 132, Lennox Crossing, ANU

After decades of poor economic performance, Africa is doing much better these days, with higher economic growth. Why? What role did aid play? And what are the lessons for the Pacific? In the 2013 Harold Mitchell Development Policy Lecture, Jim Adams will focus on how effective economic reform emerged in Africa, and related institutional and capacity issues. Drawing on this and his Pacific experience, he will review a number of proposals that could be taken by donors in the Pacific to accelerate economic reform and support the emergence of improved government institutions and capacity on policy making.

The Harold Mitchell Development Policy Lecture is made possible by generous support from the Harold Mitchell Foundation, the Development Policy Centre’s major funder.

Please note that this lecture is almost at capacity, so hurry to register here.

Growing up in PNG

In a recent two-part blog series, Andrew Anton Mako of PNG’s National Research Institute, shares the remarkable story of his childhood growing up in rural PNG. It’s a tale of rural decline, but also of the transformative power of education, the determination of a young boy not to be left behind, and the generosity of a family to give him a second chance in life.

Upcoming events

The IMF on small states in Asia and the Pacific
Patrizia Tumbarello
19 November @ 12.30pm
Acton Theatre, Level 1, JG Crawford Building 132, Lennox Crossing, ANU

Patrizia Tumbarello, Chief of the IMF’s Pacific Islands Unit, will present the IMF’s recent work on small states in Asia and the Pacific, discussing the unique constraints these states face, and the role of policy in building resilience and raising growth. Vivek Suri, the World Bank’s lead economist for the Pacific will act as a discussant. To attend, please register here.

Economics of climate change in the Pacific
Cyn-Young Park and Xianbin Yao
27 November @ 1.30pm
Acton Theatre, Level 1, JG Crawford Building 132, Lennox Crossing, ANU

Cyn-Young Park, Assistant Chief Economist in the Economics Research Department, and Xianbin Yao, Director General of the Pacific Department, ADB will present the findings of a recent ADB study that provides fine-scale climate-economic information that is critical for making development and adaptation planning decisions in the region. To pre-register, contact Macarena.Rojas@anu.edu.au.

Aid and the future of Afghanistan
5 December @ 5.30pm
Brindabella Theatre, Level 1, JG Crawford Building 132, Lennox Crossing, ANU

Details of this event, co-sponsored by the Asia Foundation, will be available soon. To pre-register, contact Macarena.Rojas@anu.edu.au.

Australian aid stakeholder survey launch
12 December @ 5.30pm
Molonglo Theatre, Level 2, JG Crawford Building 132, Lennox Crossing, ANU

Between June and August this year, the Development Policy Centre ran the first Australian aid stakeholder survey. Designed to obtain feedback on the effectiveness of the Australian aid program, and suggestions to improve it, the survey received a total of 358 responses. In this forum we will present the results of the survey and invite representatives from the aid sector to reflect on the findings in a panel discussion. Registration details will be available soon. To pre-register, contact Macarena.Rojas@anu.edu.au.

Submission of papers closed for 2014 Australasian Aid and International Development Policy Workshop
13-14 February 2014
Australian National University

Submission of abstracts of papers for the first Australasian Aid and International Development Policy Workshop closed this week with the workshop receiving over 50 submissions on a range of topics from a broad variety of contributors.

Registration for the workshop is open, with early-bird specials available until Monday 11 November.

Blog summary

You can find a summary of all posts since our last newsletter on 15 October in the list below.

Australian aid

Felled before forty: the once and future AusAID by Robin Davies.

Australian aid transparency – still a long way to go by Jonathan Pryke and Wilma Gillies.

Don’t mention aid: what’s unsaid in Australia’s economic diplomacy by Benjamin Day.

AusAID staffing: how low could it go? by Robin Davies.

Parsing the overall aid objective: a critique and a suggestion by Stephen Howes.

Global aid in 2013: a pause before descending by Robin Davies and Michelle la O’.

Global development policy

Being prepared: India’s response to Cyclone Phailin by Adam Poulter and Tracy McDiarmid.