Division of Labour for Complementarity: Methods, Tools and Good Practice

Division of Labour is a recent approach, but first experiences with methods and tools have been consolidated since the Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in 2008, both in the WP-EFF (Compendium of Good Practice) and the EU-FTI (Toolkit). Nevertheless, since country ownership and leadership are important, DoL processes will always have to be adapted to the needs and circumstances of each particular country.

Readers are encouraged to submit further information on methods and tools and their practical experiences. To do so, please write to dac.contact@oecd.org.

Note: most methods and tools available so far were developed only for in-country DoL processes. Only the WP-EFF Compendium on Good Practice Principles contains a chapter on cross-country DoL.

• EU Toolkit for the Implementation of Complementarity and Division of Labour in Development Policy (January/June 2009) 
  The EU Toolkit contains definitions, an overview of a typical DoL implementation process, a list of specific issues to be considered, a note on M & E, and useful references and annexes.
• WP-EFF Compendium of Good Practice Principles (July 2008, funded by the EC) The Compendium of Good Practice was compiled as input for HLF 3 and contains a conteptual part and brief descriptions of the different DoL approaches (cross-country, cross-sector and in-country DoL). The annexes contain 30 brief descriptions of DoL experiences and some tools.
• Donor Mapping: Assessment of the Status Quo (September 2008)
  This background paper elaborates on different types of mapping exercises which can be used to get an overview of the donor activities in a partner country. Currently used mapping methods are illustrated using several examples from partner countries.
• Lead, Active, Silent and Background Donors in Division of Labour Arrangements (September 2008)
  While coordinating their activities in partner countries, donors take on different roles which are increasingly being formalised in "lead donor arrangements". This background paper reviews the current understanding of the terms of "lead", "active", "passive" or "background" donor based on documents from DoL processes in Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania or Kenya.
• International Good Practice Principles for Country-Led Division of Labour and Complementarity (708 kb)