Alignment of ODA projects with policies and priorities of the recipient country: Case study of Ecuador

Abstract

Abstract

Alignment of ODA projects with policies and priorities of the recipient country: Case study of Ecuador

IVONNE MARITHZA TAPIA MENDEZ International Area Studies Graduate School of International Studies Seoul National University

This study aims to examine the practicality of the principles of Paris Declaration, particularly the alignment principle between donors aid and the development priorities of the recipient country. Some studies show that alignment is a subject that needs more engage and join work between recipient and donor countries. Due this reasons this study raises the inquiry, in what extend the alignment principle of the Paris Declaration is practical or a simply rhetoric, or perhaps alignment goes beyond Paris Declaration parameters considering other relevant factors.? To explain this question, a case study of Ecuador was carried out to illustrate a more detailed unfolding of the different behavior of donors regarding alignment in the country. The key findings of this study suggest that there have been little improvements in donors behavior related to alignment. However, alignment is still unclear due to the modalities of aid implementation that each donor uses in the country. Therefore, it concludes by saying, that there is still large room for further progress in the coordination of donor and recipient country partnership to have a real alignment in the country.

Keywords: ODA, Foreign Aid, Paris Declaration, Aid Effectiveness, Alignment, Beyond Paris Declaration, Aid Allocation, Ecuador. Student Number: 2015-25108