A whole range of ministries and public institutions mobilise expertise and resources for development. They fund bilateral programmes, offer peer-to-peer assistance, support multilateral organisations and oversee domestic policies with significant impact on developing countries. Without effective co-ordination, inconsistent standards and policies, lack of transparency, missed opportunities and inefficiencies can all ensue. If done well, governments can combine their assets and maximise their contribution to global sustainable development.
Whole-of‑government development co‑operation
Abstract
Development co-operation landscape is increasingly complex, shaped by political and fiscal pressures, cross-cutting challenges, and a wider range of actors, instruments and delivery channels. A whole-of-government development co-operation approach helps align policies, expertise and resources across government, supporting coherent and effective responses to achieve greater development impact.
Development co-operation standards apply to all parts of government.
The principles of effective development co-operation set out the quality standards for all development co-operation. All ministries and public institutions need to respect country ownership, focus on results, support inclusive partnerships, and guarantee transparency and mutual accountability.
OECD-DAC legal instruments apply to all ministries engaging in development co-operation, for instance the Recommendations on Untying Official Development Assistance and Terms and Conditions of Aid.
Some OECD-DAC recommendations specifically underscore the importance of cross-government efforts: ensuring policy coherence for sustainable development; joined-up humanitarian, development and peace actions; and cross-government efforts to fight corrupt practices.
The OECD DAC Peer Review Analytical Framework highlights the need for a top-level policy framework, a designated point of leadership, and clear, complementary mandates, responsibilities and accountabilities.
1. Development policy and strategies draw on cross-government efforts: Political leadership and strategic frameworks rely on key government institutions and reflect their roles and comparative advantages, setting out common objectives, individual actions and areas of collaboration.
Austria’s Federal Act on Development Cooperation commits the federal government to a set of principles for development co‑operation.
Luxembourg’s National Plan for Sustainable Development encourages closer collaboration between cross-government bodies responsible for policy coherence and development co-operation. This helps ensure that development policy reflects broader government priorities while taking account of the transboundary impacts of domestic policies.
The Netherlands’ policy coherence action plan promotes co-ordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and line ministries, which report to Parliament on their contribution to the SDGs.
Denmark and New Zealand’s regional and country strategies set out how the government as a whole contributes to the sustainable development of their partner countries.
2. Institutional settings enable effective collaboration: Independent of the institutional model, government actors have clear, complementary mandates, responsibilities and accountabilities. Co-ordination mechanisms at strategic, policy and operational levels support policy coherence, joint decision making and programming.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has an explicit mandate to lead the whole-of-government approach to international development, co-ordinating ODA and non-ODA engagements in the Indo-Pacific with close to 25 other departments and agencies.
In France the Presidential Council for Development, chaired by the President, sets strategic development policy. The Inter-ministerial Committee for International Co-operation and Development, chaired by the Prime Minister and jointly managed by the ministries of foreign affairs and economy, brings together key ministries to co-ordinate stakeholders and modes of intervention.
In Korea, the Committee for International Development Co-operation (CIDC), led by the Prime Minister’s Office, sets policy direction and budget allocations, aligning national priorities and co-ordinating more than 40 implementing line ministries and agencies.
Joint board representation by Denmark’s ministries of Foreign Affairs and Environment strengthens engagement with the Green Climate Fund, drawing on both ministries’ expertise and networks.
“Team Italy” country missions, led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, bring together government, civil society and private sector actors to foster joint programming, develop project pipelines and strengthen credibility with partner countries.
3. Across government, resources and expertise are mobilised for sustainable development: Development financing instruments draw on institutions with relevant expertise, and all government institutions provide financing of high quality. Non-ODA financing to developing countries has adequate safeguards and is geared towards sustainable development.
Canada's International Assistance Envelope (IAE), provides a whole-of-government framework through which Global Affairs Canada and the Department of Finance co-ordinate international assistance allocations across departments and agencies.
Denmark's Peace and Stabilisation Fund, the Netherlands' Stabilisation Fund and the United Kingdom's Integrated Security Fund are cross-government financing mechanisms that pool ODA and non-ODA resources, as well as expertise from multiple ministries and agencies, to address complex development, peace and security challenges.
Spain has dedicated mechanisms to co-ordinate and facilitate the mobilisation of public sector expertise.
Portugal’s COVID-19 response mobilised the ministries responsible for foreign affairs, health, defence, science, education, labour and social affairs, enabling a rapid and co-ordinated action.
To draw on non-ODA development resources, Finland’s Finfund applies an impact assessment for private sector financing, Canada has integrated the SDGs into its export credit work, Norway’s Pension Fund Global uses guidelines for ethical and sustainable investments, and Luxembourg has a dedicated initiative to promote sustainable finance.
4. All co-operation is subject to quality assurance, monitoring and learning: Quality assurance, monitoring and evaluations enhance and track the effectiveness of development co-operation across government. Comprehensive information is publicly available.
To provide feedback on design and quality, Portugal requires that all public co-operation projects receive prior approval from the co-operation agency Camões.
New Zealand’s partner country strategies track how national efforts contribute to development objectives using SDG indicators, making mutual accountability easier.
Germany’s evaluation institute DEVal undertakes evaluations that cut across ministries and instruments. The United Kingdom’s oversight body ICAI reflects the actions of various departments in its reviews. Responses are provided by all departments concerned on behalf of the UK government.
Norway’s Knowledge Bank is a dedicated institutional resource to support, quality assure and learn from the technical co-operation of 35 public institutions.
Some DAC members make system-wide ODA information accessible with detailed evidence and data visualisation that support cross-government communication. Examples include, Australia’s Development Portal, Belgium’s Openaid, Finland’s Open Eval and OpenAid, Sweden’s Openaid and the United Kingdom’s DevTracker websites, which provide detailed evidence and data visualisations portals.
How do we know if DAC Members are moving in the right direction?
Strategies and policies foresee cross-government co-ordination.
Co-ordination mechanisms support decision making and shape strategy and operations.
Lead institutions, line ministries and agencies identify synergies and ensure complementarity of their efforts.
Each government actor has defined its contribution to global sustainable development and mobilises necessary resources and expertise.
Evidence and information on whole-of-government efforts and results is publicly available and builds shared understanding, coherence and trust.
Partners have a good understanding of the provider’s full co-operation offer and can easily navigate their interaction with its government.
The Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation’s Task Team (2019), https://www.effectivecooperation.org/content/guidance-and-good-practice-cso-development-effectiveness-and-enabling-environment.
[Placeholder for WOGA peer learning publications]
Policy coherence for sustainable development, OECD [website], https://www.oecd.org/gov/pcsd/.
Development Insights: DAC peer learning brief on working across government, Development Co-Operation Directorate, Development Assistance Committee.
Development Insights: DAC peer learning brief on building, buying and borrowing skills, Development Co-Operation Directorate, Development Assistance Committee.
DAC Evaluation Resource Centre (DEReC), OECD [website].
More Framework principles are available on Development Co-operation TIPs • Tools Insights Practices.
