An Integrated Country Policy for Belgian Development Cooperation
(2018) , 49 pages
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- Abstract
- Belgian development cooperation is undergoing multiple reforms towards more integrated actions intending to improve the effectiveness of its interventions. In line with international debates and engagements, more coherent approaches are promoted that include all different channels and actors and involve those best fitted to reach the objectives of Belgian foreign policy. In this context, the research group “Governance for development” was asked by DGD to study two particular aspects: 1) the trend towards a Comprehensive Approach (CA) that optimises cooperation between actors, primarily the different federal departments, engaged in Belgian foreign action at large; and 2) the implementation of an Integrated Country Policy (or ICP) for development that optimises collaborations between all actors of Belgian development cooperation around a country intervention strategy. This paper addresses the issue of the integrated country policy. In the words of the ACROPOLIS call for proposal (1), “the integrated country policy for development should be based on objectives derived from specific local country contexts and to which the Belgian development cooperation contributes as a whole, whatever the channel or instrument used. It tries to make the efforts of Belgian development actors more coherent, to promote synergies and complementarities between interventions and thus strengthen effectiveness and impact of Belgian public aid. It is also about choosing the implementing actor best fitted to reach the objectives set”. To succeed in such an ambitious reform, it is essential to clarify its context and meaning, to analyse existing practices and perceptions at Belgian level, as well as to look at international experiences from which lessons could be learned. In tackling all these aspects, this paper provides food for thoughts to Belgian stakeholders and wishes to lay the foundations for the debate and reforms carried out. The paper consists of two parts. The first part synthesises Belgian and international evidence and answers the following questions: why does integration matter? What is called for ICP? What is covered by it? What are the practices of other donors? The second part presents the results of the survey carried out between June and September 2017 with Belgian actors (public, private, and civil society) involved in Belgian foreign policy. The questions asked concerned their perceptions, practices, and references on either the CA or the ICP, or on both. Only the answers related to ICP are presented here.
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Klimis, E., Vervisch, T., Leclercq, S., Matagne, G., & Martini, J. (2018). An Integrated Country Policy for Belgian Development Cooperation. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/251793