29 July 2005
The Relevance of Millennium Challenge Account Evaluation
The goals of the Millennium Challenge Account instituted by President Bush in 2002 will only preserve the inappropriate framework for economic development in Africa that was imposed by its colonial rulers. You only have to look at this year’s Compact between the Government of Madagascar and the Millennium Challenge Corporation to see how its funds will be devoted to implementing institutions and regulations of the kind that are necessary for the equitable functioning of a Western commercial system. These are the smart policies that James Surowiecki refers to in the July 25, 2005 New Yorker. Unfortunately, that puts the cart before the horse.
The MCA demands lot of documentation in order to demonstrate that foreign aid funds have been spent with financial accountability. In itself, this does not improve the welfare of the intended beneficiaries of that aid. The use of foreign aid in Africa (and other developing countries around the world) should not be regulated according to standards that reflect good practices in donor country markets. It must achieve results that are meaningful in its target societies, and that honor the collective expectations and judgment criteria of their members. The trick is for wealthy governments to develop relevant criteria for assessing the fairness and effectiveness of aid to non-Western economic systems.
The goals of the Millennium Challenge Account instituted by President Bush in 2002 will only preserve the inappropriate framework for economic development in Africa that was imposed by its colonial rulers. You only have to look at this year’s Compact between the Government of Madagascar and the Millennium Challenge Corporation to see how its funds will be devoted to implementing institutions and regulations of the kind that are necessary for the equitable functioning of a Western commercial system. These are the smart policies that James Surowiecki refers to in the July 25, 2005 New Yorker. Unfortunately, that puts the cart before the horse.
The MCA demands lot of documentation in order to demonstrate that foreign aid funds have been spent with financial accountability. In itself, this does not improve the welfare of the intended beneficiaries of that aid. The use of foreign aid in Africa (and other developing countries around the world) should not be regulated according to standards that reflect good practices in donor country markets. It must achieve results that are meaningful in its target societies, and that honor the collective expectations and judgment criteria of their members. The trick is for wealthy governments to develop relevant criteria for assessing the fairness and effectiveness of aid to non-Western economic systems.
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