Foreign Affairs: Five Ways to Improve development aid

Farmer  is offering evidence and verifiable solutions to developmental aid in Africa and third world countries across the globe.  While 80 percent of aid from major bilateral and multilateral donors to fragile countries still bypasses the systems of local public institutions,  the aid enterprise has contributed to a number of achievements around the world, not the least of which is the distribution of public goods that have led to higher rates of child survival and reduced HIV infection, malaria, and other infectious diseases.   He cites the example of Rwanda who nineteen years ago lay in ruins. Today, it is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa on track to meet all health-related UN Millennium Development Goals, among them reducing under-five mortality by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015. Rwanda, in fact, has seen one of the most dramatic declines in premature mortality ever recorded. Although many economic measures of well-being miss important disparities, the trends in Rwanda are encouraging: since 1994, per capita income has almost tripled and GDP has quadrupled, growing at a rate of 8.1 percent annually from 2000. He points out that research shows a link between progress towards key targets of the Millennium Development Goals and direct investment in government institutions.  He suggests that first,we must  reward aid institutions and staff who localize aid dollars. Secondly we should, prioritize implementation with national counterparts at every step of the process, and thirdly we need to prioritize the transfer of aid functions to local authorities.  As a result, all aid implementers should consider every decision they make within the context of a long-term plan to transfer their tasks and functions to local institutions.

Below is the link to the Article in Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/140495/paul-farmer/rethinking-foreign-aid