ABSTRACT
In this year’s The Reality of Aid, NGOs have documented some of the waste of aid effort that occurs when money is spent without proper objectives and clear management. Development cooperation policies which are not backed up by ministers with enough political clout, or which are fragmented between different government departments, stand little chance of achieving coherent, efficient aid programmes. The political responsibility for OECD aid https://www.niso.org/standards/z39-96/ns/oasis-exchange/table">
Governmental responsibility
Parliamentary scrutiny
Australia
In the new government, prime responsibility rests with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is a member of the cabinet, assisted by a Parliamentary Sectretary responsible for aid and consular affairs
Under the previous government, annual reports were submitted to Parliament on Australia’s overseas aid programme and contributions to development banks. Some parliamentary committees examine aid issues, and the Auditor General also reports to Parliament on government departmental spending
Austria
Prime responsibility was transferred from the Chancellory (Prime Minister’s Office) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Finance has responsibility for multilateral financial aid and tied aid loans
Belgium
Non-Cabinet State Secretary for Development Cooperation responsible for 60%–70% of ODA; now reports direct to the Prime Minister. Ministry of Finance controls 25% of ODA. The rest is split between Foreign Affairs, Health, Agriculture and Education. All ministries involved attend the Interministerial Working Group on Development Cooperation to achieve more coherence and coordination
Since 1995, the specific commission on development cooperation ceased to exist and aid is now discussed in the Commission on Foreign Affairs. In September 1995 a group of parliamentarians founded a parliamentary club on development cooperation to increase attention to the issues
Canada
In January 1996, the government created a new Ministry for International Cooperation, a junior ministry under the Minister for Foreign Affairs, responsible for CIDA and relations with the francophonie
Parliament reviews and passes the Federal budget.which includes ODA expenditure each spring. From February 1996 CIDA will provide more detailed assessments of progress to accompany this.The Standing Committee on International Affairs and Trade covers a range of issues relating to ODA
Denmark
Minister for Development Affairs has full ministerial status within the Danish foreign ministry and is responsible for all aid
There is quite intense parliamentary scrutiny of aid based around debates, budgets and strategies and the Foreign Committee deals with ODA issues in more depth. Currently Danida is trying to modernize and structure its information to Parliament. An annual report and budget and an updated five-year plan with an expenditure framework are submitted annually
Finland
The Department for International Development Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (formerly Finnida) administers the main parts of ODA. Ministries of Social and Health Care, Education, Environment, Trade and Industry, Finance, Interior, Labour, Agriculture and Forestry and Traffic and Communications are all responsible for spending parts of the aid budget.
The annual ODA budget is adopted by Parliament. Since 1993 the budget proposal has ceased to include information on allocations to concentration countries or between multilateral agencies. Decisions which, four years ago, were made by Parliament are now made by department. Recent recommendations specify areas where parliamentary control should be restored
France
Around ten ministries are involved in managing French aid.The main ones are the Ministry of the Economy and Finance which handles contributions to international organizations, debt funding and cancellation, concessional loans and grants for programme aid in support of structural adjustment. The Ministry of Cooperation is responsible for ACP countries and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for all non-ACP countries. Others include the Ministry of Research, the Caisse Française de developpement, the Ministry for Education and the Ministry of Defence. The President retains final responsibility for foreign affairs including aid
French aid is insufficiently monitored and controlled by Parliament
Germany
The Minister for Economic Cooperation – a Cabinet post – is responsible for aid, but the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Economy are also involved
A broad range of annual and biannual reports on all relevant aid issues are submitted to Parliament. There is intense debate in the Development Committee and intermittent debate in the Budget Committee
Ireland
Minister of State within the Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for aid
Information on programmes is regularly provided to Parliament. There is regular contact with the ODA Sub-Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Italy
ODA is managed by the Directorate General for Development Cooperation within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Multilateral aid is managed by the Treasury
Parliamentary concern about Italy’s development assistance has been regularly demonstrated, and most recently in 1995 it was reflected in the establishment of a bicameral (Chamber of Deputies and Senate) Inquiry Commission. Its aim is to analyse past policy and introduce reform. It will present its final report at the end of May 1996
Japan
ODA is managed by four ministries: Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Industry, Finance and Economic Planning
There is very little parliamentary scrutiny of aid issues. Reports are made available to Parliament on Japan’s ODA alongside the Annual Report on Implementation, and the Annual Evaluation Report on Japan’s Economic Cooperation
Luxembourg
The prime responsibility for ODA is held by the Office of the Junior Minister for Foreign Affairs, External Trade and Cooperation who administered 90% of Luxembourg’s aid in 1994. The new Prime Minister may be seen as influencing the policy, for example through the Public Treasury (he is also the Minister of Finance)
There is scarcely any scrutiny of aid by Parliament. Two reports are made available on a regular basis: Rapport annuel de la cooperation luxembourgeoise and Rapport annuel de Lux-Development
The Netherlands
The Ministry of Development Cooperation is part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Minister, without portfolio, works under the umbrella of foreign affairs, with his/her own budget. As a result of the process of decompartmentalization, started in 1993, Foreign Policy is the joint responsibility of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Economic Affairs.
There is an annual parliamentary debate on the budget and information is regularly made available to Parliament on evaluations, annual project reports and official government documents
New Zealand
There is no discrete minister for development cooperation. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade is responsible at a political level and aid is managed by the Development Cooperation Division within the Ministry in conjunction with diplomatic posts
Main parliamentary scrutiny is through the Annual Report by the Ministry and the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence
Norway
Norway’s aid is split into two roughly equal halves managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Agency for Development Aid. The Ministry has three ministers: Foreign Minister, Minister for Trade and Minister for Development Aid. About 10% of the budget, including humanitarian assistance and human rights, is the responsibility of the Foreign Minister
There is quite extensive parliamentary scrutiny of aid spending, but programme and budgetary details tend to receive more attention than major strategies or principles. A relatively comprehensive annual budget proposal and activity reports are made available to Parliament
Portugal
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for planning, coordination and evaluation of Portuguese development policy through the Institute for Portuguese Cooperation. Other ministries have their own sectoral cooperation activities
In the past, aid has not been scrutinized by Parliament. In 1996 an autonomous cooperation budget will be presented to Parliament which may change things.Once a year, the memorandum to the DAC is made available to Parliament
Spain
Theoretically, the political responsibility for aid lies with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but in fact management is in the hands of the Ministry of Trade and Tourism, and the Ministry of Economy. Together they managed 80% of Spanish ODA policyin 1994.113 other ministries are involved. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs managed 11.74% of ODA in 1994, rising to 32% in 1995
In the Spanish Parliament there is a Non-Permanent Commission on Cooperation for Development. They are in charge of scrutinizing ODA policy and receiving information, and are authorized to call every person in the Administration who is related to ODA management. The Commission has been quite active. There is a problem with incomplete information being given to Parliament on mixed credits
Sweden
Cabinet Minister for Development Cooperation within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Management is now through one agency, Sida, combining the previous four
Sida’s annual reports, evaluations, and reports from the Swedish audit office are all made available to Parliament
Switzerland
76% of ODA is administered by the Swiss Development Corporation, 14% by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, 1.4% by the Ministry for Finance and the rest is split between other ministries
Swiss ODA is encompassed within several major ‘framework credits’ debated in and voted by Parliament. A framework credit usually runs for four years and as there are several, Parliament usually discusses one a year. In addition, annual reports on the activities of the government and international economic relations are made available to Parliament
UK
Non-Cabinet Minister for Overseas Development responsible for aid within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which, with the Treasury, Department of Trade and Industry and Export Credit Guarantee Department, has a say in the management, policy and resources for British aid. The Overseas Development Administration has suggested strengthening ODA/FCO relations so that it has more of a say in developing country matters
There is an annual aid debate – as well as other smaller aid debates, usually in Opposition time. These are not generally well attended. A Parliamentary Committee scrutinizes both aid and foreign affairs spending and activities in some depth. An annual Departmental Report is submitted to Parliament in March. The National Audit office writes reports on aspects of the UK’s ODA
USA
While the President is responsible for making foreign policy, Congress determines the funds. On the executive branch side, USAID administers most ODA, including cash disaster assistance, food aid, and the economic support fund. Development cooperation policy is also influenced by a number of cabinet departments (predominantly the Departments of State, Defense, and the Treasury) and two agencies within the office of the President (the Office of Management and Budget, and the National Security Council)
US aid is scrutinized by Congressional Committees, the US General Accounting Office, the Congressional Research Service and USAID’s own Office of Inspector General who all subject the bilateral programme in particular to frequent and detailed reviews
