Assessment of aid effectiveness in Ethiopia : a case study on the General Education Quality Improvement Programme and the collaboration among DFID, UNICEF and the World Bank

Abstract

This research focuses on assessing the extent to which the Principles of Aid Effectiveness were followed and translated into action by taking the General Education Quality Improvement Programme (GEQIP) in Ethiopia as an example. Outcomes of the secondary reviews conducted on the selected government institutions and development partners documents demonstrate that these Principles are taken as overarching strategies to guide the undertakings on GEQIP. The study attests that a number of factors influence the realization of aid effectiveness in Ethiopia. These include, at the recipient level, existence of strong national development plans while demanding improvement on absorptive capacity. At the level of development partners, compliance with pledges made on the provision of resources and better coordination is needed. A common country framework to guide the aid effectiveness process including mutual accountably is important. The study most importantly identifies that beyond sector specific reviews, emphasis should also be given to assess the contribution of the Principles of Aid Effectiveness for efficient delivery of support to the GEQIP.