“Australia’s role in global poverty reduction – are we a good partner for development?”

Prof. Susanne SchechSchool of International Studies

Tuesday 24 February 2015

Millennium Development Goals

8 goals & 22 targets

60 indicators

To be reached by December 2015!

Steve Greenberg, US cartoonist, 24 March 2011 http://www.cartoonmovement.com/cartoon/1674

Australian Council For International Development 2014

Popa Matumula, Tanzanian cartoonist, 21 December 2010 http://www.cartoonmovement.com/cartoon/925

The “true spirit of partnership”..

…is a “process of dialogue and agreement between Northern donors and their Southern partners that respects Southern ownership and diversity”

OECD 1996: Shaping the 21st Century

Measuring partnershipODA

‘Aid’

Market access

Debt sustaina-

bility

Access to medicine

Access to new

technology

Rise in aid

MDG Gap Task Force Report 2014, p. 11

MDG Gap Task Force reports

• 2008: Delivering on the Global Partnership• 2009: Strengthening the Global Partnership• 2010: Critical juncture• 2011: Time to deliver• 2012: Making rhetoric a reality• 2013: The challenge we face• 2014: The state of the Global Partnership

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

Australia

UN target of 0.7%

Australia’s ODA Net Disbursements 1984-2013

% of GNI

Comparison of ODA Net Disbursements

19841986

19881990

19921994

19961998

20002002

20042006

20082010

20120

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

Australia CanadaGermany KoreaNetherlandsNew ZealandSwedenUnited Kingdom

UN target of 0.7%

% of GNI

Who gets aid?

Germany Korea Canada Australia New Zealand Netherlands Sweden United Kingdom

0

10

20

30

40

50

60 Low income countries Lower middle income countries Upper middle income countries

Based on OECD 2014 Global Outlook on Aid

N of priority countries

2014 aid budget cuts

• “Budget exploits our indifference to the suffering of foreigners” The Conversation 22/5/2014

• “Cutting foreign aid fails to grasp the big picture”

The Age, 27/5/2014

• “'Immoral' aid cuts see Australia hit a record low for generosity to world's poor”

Sydney Morning Herald 14/12/2014

• “Julie Bishop and the empathy deficit”

Canberra Times 20/12/2014

Australian public: preferences for Government spending cuts

Foreign aid

Private schools

Welfare support

Defence

Border security

Public transport

Pensions

Health and hospitals

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Essential Media Communications Poll 5 March 2014 http://essentialvision.com.au/

How much of the Federal Budget Australians think is spent on aid

0%

1-2%

3-4%

5-6%

10-20%

30-40%

don't know

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

How much should be spentHow much is spent

% of Federal Budget

Lowy Institute Poll 2011http://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/2011-lowy-institute-poll

Actual: 1.3%

% of respondents

“The Australian Government will work with the most effective and innovative delivery partners to achieve our international objectives with a particular focus on value-for-money and achieving results.”

DFAT 2014 p. 29

Australian Aid Policy 2014

Aid

Trade

Security&

stability

Tackling

global risks

Invest-ment

Partnership in Australian Aid

• “Partnerships with a wide range of groups are essential for an effective aid program”

• Partners are “who we work with”

• Values = “maximise impact”, “achieve objectives”, “value-for-money”, “efficiencies”, “mutual accountability”

Source: http://aid.dfat.gov.au/

Source: http://aid.dfat.gov.au/partner/

DFAT Partners Their role in Australian Aid

Private sector “to access ideas, innovation, and different business models”

Bilateral partners “maximise impact”, “ensure best practice” “prevent duplication”

Multilaterals “to strengthen impact of Australian aid through their reach, leverage and specialisation”

NGOs “effective in reaching the most marginalised and vulnerable”

“how international aid is presented to domestic parliaments and the media damages aid agencies’ capacity to work modestly through carefully nurtured relationships with the many others involved.”

Rosalind Eyben, 2014, 145

retired UK DfID staff

“how do we fix this well”“the other great Australian character trait … is a gutsy determination. A very practical attitude of how do we fix this well?“

Kevin Rudd, 2011

“not afraid of the oily rag”

“Australians … have been prepared to hop in and demonstrate while Europeans or Americans stand back and advise. They are not afraid of the oily rag”

Gough Whitlam,1966, pp. 13-14

Two most important reasons for volunteering

I want to help people/make a useful contribution

I feel my existing skill sets will/can make a difference

I want to learn new skills/gain new knowledge

I am in-between jobs so I thought I might as well use my skill sets elsewhere

I want to get some job-related experience so I am more employable

I want to meet new people

I want the experience of living in a different country

I have had problems getting employment in Australia

-10% 10% 30% 50% 70%

Rank 1Rank 2

Pre-departure Surveys August 2013-May 2014 (N=305)26

Volunteering is about …

Pre-departure Surveys August 2013-May 2014 (N=305)27

passing on knowledge and experiences to facilitate development

working in equal partnership with local organisations to facilitate development

building the skills of international volunteers

serving the needs of local organisations

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Very close or close to my opinion Neutral Very far or far from my opinion

Gaining cross-cultural skills

28

Meeting new people

Meeting people from a different cultural background

Making culturally based mistakes

Making new friends

Being lonely and isolated

Not being able to do what is expected of me

Understanding people

People understanding me

20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

I don't feel nervous about ...

Post placement Pre-departure

Pre-departure Surveys August 2013-May 2014 (N=312) Post-placement Surveys June – November 2014 (N=100)

HO perceptions on the contributions of AVID volunteers

Contribution Host Organisation commentscapacity building volunteers are skilled professionals who are

able to build the technical and structural capacities of their host organisation

people-to-people linkages

volunteers bring a new energy and enthusiasm to the organisation and inspire its staff

mutual exchange volunteers promote mutual learning and exchange of knowledge

institutional linkages volunteers encourage the host organisation to develop connections with domestic and international partners

29

Post-2015 Aid Agenda

1. Leave no one behind

2. Put sustainable development at the core

3. Transform economies for jobs and incentives

4. Build peace and effective, open and accountable institutions for all

5. Forge a new global partnership

http://www.un.org/sg/management/beyond2015.shtml

ReferencesDFAT 2014 Australian aid: promoting prosperity, reducing poverty, enhancing stability. Canberra: DFAT

Eyben, R. 2014: International aid and the making of a better world, London: Routledge.

Hulme, D. & Scott, J. 2010: The political economy of the MDGs: Retrospect and prospect for the world's biggest promise, New Political Economy 15(2) 293-306

MDG Gap Task Force 2014 The state of the global partnership for development, New York: United Nations

OECD 1996 Shaping the 21st century: the contribution of development co-operation, Paris: OECD

OECD 2014 "Detailed aid statistics: Official and private flows", OECD International Development Statistics (database)

OECD 2014 Global outlook on aid, Paris: OECD

Open Working Group (2014) Proposal for Sustainable Development Goals. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/

Rudd, Kevin (Foreign Minister) Launch of Australian Volunteers for International Development, 26/5/2011, Canberra.

Senate Standing Committees on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade 2014: Australia’s overseas aid and development assistance program. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

Whitlam, E. Gough 1966: "Australia - base or bridge?" Evatt Memorial Lecture 1966, Sydney University Fabian Society