Introduction

Official Development Assistance (ODA) is assumed to be a pragmatically ethical duty by donor countries and International Organisations (IOs) which helps stimulate development and eradicates poverty in aid recipient countries (OECD 2010a, 2012b). ODA is also a pragmatic tool of foreign policy, yet the reasons, objectives and intentions of a donor government’s policies often differ. Since 1999 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) (2013a), 2013b) and the World Bank’s‘Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers’ (PRSPs) have been the standard way for aid recipients to make their case for receiving ODA. The PRSPs focused on diagnostic mappings and outcomes (IMF 2013a). The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list of aid recipients is assessed every three years. This assessment depends on what donor and recipient governments consider to be recipient country requirements (OECD 2012a, 2012b).