Challenges for spanish cooperation / Comment
Harmonisation within the Spanish development cooperation framework - some ideas for debate
10/07/2006 By Ana Alcalde, Publicaciones ForoAOD
The Spanish International Cooperation Agency (AECI) has traditionally not played a key role in the coordination of donors, but in the field it has participated, to a greater or lesser degree, in several groups, depending on the capabilities and the vision of each Technical Cooperation Office (OTC).
The new 2005–2008 Master Plan has incorporated the main international commitments on aid efficiency and has given new momentum to harmonisation, together with other elements and essential guidelines of the current process of change of Spanish development cooperation, as was described in another paper presented in this forum.
As part of this process of change there are, beyond the explicit political will, two essential elements that could smooth the path towards progress vis-à-vis harmonisation in the near future.
These elements are: (1) the recent approval of the State Agencies Law, with the subsequent adoption of a results-based management model for the AECI, which should mean greater flexibility in hiring procedures, designation and follow-up of resources; and (2) the progressive increase in Spanish aid channelled through mechanisms such as the General Budget Support and the sectorial focus (SWAP).
These two driving factors (agency reform and the so-called new instruments), accompanied by other elements and processes such as the current revision of the Management Cycle of Spanish Development Cooperation - recently initiated by the General Directorate for the Planning and Assessment of Development Policies (DGPolDE) - and the adoption of an Operative Programming system based on results of the AECI, can be the pillars to substantially improve the harmonisation levels of Spanish development cooperation.
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Keywords
Aid effectiveness Development cooperation Harmonization SpainRelated publications
Bio author: Ana Alcalde
Ana Alcalde holds a law degree from the Universidad Complutense in Madrid and a Master degree in European law from the Universidad Carlos III In Madrid. She is a researcher at the Centre of Studies for Latin America and International Cooperation of the Fundación Carolina.
Bio author: Publicaciones ForoAOD
The FOROAOD has been designed as a democratic experiment to involve citizens, policy-makers and academics from North and South in a consultation process about the Spanish Development Cooperation.
