What are we researching?
What factors can ensure that people in the Global South also have access to a decent existence with, for example, sufficient food and access to education and health care? The research particularly focuses on the effectiveness of development aid and on the relationship between governance (institutions, organisations) and development.
Why are we doing this research?
Many developing countries have to deal with unfair tax systems, capital flight, protectionism in rich countries and severe consequences of climate change. Development aid is a drop in the ocean, but it is essential to examine whether it effectively reduces poverty in those countries. This is not only about the results of the donated funds.
How are we doing this research?
How aid is given plays an important role: what conditions are set for policy or governance, and what is the effect of these conditions; does aid allow for ownership of recipient governments, and are institutions in recipient countries strengthened or undermined?
Hoe maakt ons onderzoek impact?
We do a lot of research for organisations active in development cooperation, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Commission, the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and the World Bank.
Since policymakers are often closely involved during the implementation of these evaluations, results sometimes already influence policy during the process. An evaluation of debt relief to developing countries carried out for the Dutch government in 2002 and 2003 showed that even concessional loans, such as those from the World Bank, contribute to the debt burden, and that debt relief on only part of the annual interest and debt service does not help to reduce the debt burden. These insights have contributed to international policy changes.
A recent evaluation of budget support to Rwanda for the European Commission led, among other things, to the renewed involvement of the European Delegation in Rwanda in discussions on macro-economic policy, alongside the IMF and the World Bank.