Effective development co‑operation enables partner countries to lead their own sustainable progress. Trust is built through political dialogue, aligning efforts with national goals, and strengthening local capacity for inclusive and accountable development processes.
Country ownership over national development processes
Abstract
Country ownership implies that partner countries set their own national priorities and that development partners align their support to national priorities using country systems. It is essential for effective and sustainable development co-operation, as it:
enables locally led development in line with partner country needs and priorities
involves relevant actors and stakeholders in decision making, co-creation and implementation of development efforts
allows partner country governments and societies to share accountability for the development outcomes they seek on behalf of their citizens.
The challenge: Strengthening ownership is difficult where citizens have little voice (e.g. fragile, politically constrained and conflict-affected contexts), where capacity of local systems and institutions is limited, or when development partners have other political and policy agendas which can outweigh development policy priorities.
Country ownership is a core principle of effective development co-operation, as set out in the Busan Partnership Agreement, and a key aspect in efforts to support locally-led development. In practice, this means that DAC members would:
Note: The OECD DAC Peer Review Analytical Framework sets out basic standards for DAC members to ensure they deliver development co-operation that is supportive of country ownership. This requires that DAC members' political engagement, strategy and programming be based on the country context and reflect partner countries’ priorities, needs and capacity across all levels of government and stakeholders.
1. Consult regularly with a broad range of local stakeholders when preparing country strategies and programmes.
New Zealand’s International Climate Finance Strategy was developed following consultation with Pacific partner governments, members of the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific and other key bilateral actors in the Pacific region. It recognises the need to collaborate and draw on indigenous models and traditional knowledge to create integrated climate change responses.
Italy has integrated diaspora communities from partner countries in consultative mechanisms, facilitating knowledge sharing and helping strengthen the capacity of migrant organisations.
Spain’s Mesas país (country roundtables) bring together senior policy makers from partner governments, EU institutions and EU Member States in a structured policy dialogue, which has proved effective for developing joined-up responses to crises, such as COVID-19.
2. Align development co-operation to national development strategies.
The 2019 GPEDC monitoring exercise found that partner country governments have strengthened national development planning, enabling development partners to strengthen their alignment with partner country priorities and country-owned results.
Malawi’s development partners align with the country’s National Development Strategy through sectoral working groups and use results information to engage in policy dialogue.
Portugal’s Strategic Co-operation Programmes (PECs) are negotiated jointly with partner governments every five years. They commit Portugal to aligning its development co-operation with national policies and to supporting country ownership.
Uganda's development partners fully fund the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund, while the Office of the Prime Minister leads the implementation of the Northern Uganda Reconstruction Program.
El Salvador has established a Global Dialogue Table to implement its “National Plan for the Effectiveness of Cooperation” and strengthen co-ordination with its development partners on strategic priorities.
3. Use country-defined results and statistics to build capacity.
New Zealand has simplified its results approach and is working with the Pacific Community to integrate partner-generated data into the new system, strengthening ownership, relevance and regional capacity.
The UK’s Office for National Statistics has developed medium-term partnerships with National Statistics offices in partner countries to modernise their statistical systems and support vital data used to underpin their SDG reporting.
Portugal undertakes joint monitoring with partners and in some cases also conducts joint evaluations of its development co-operation with partner country authorities.
Development partners, including the European Union and the Netherlands, supported the creation of ODAmoz, Mozambique’s online platform to collect ODA data from development partners to strengthen ODA co‑ordination. The platform is now managed by Mozambique's Directorate of Investment and Cooperation.
4. Deliver development co-operation inclusively, through local country systems, strengthening their capacity.
The Netherlands’ “Dialogue and Dissent” programme has enabled local civil society organisations with a track record in advocacy to strengthen their capacities and pursue advocacy goals.
Iceland prioritises its programme-based approach at local government level. Long-term partnerships with district authorities in partner countries have improved their performance and enhanced service provision for the population.
Many DAC members provide sector budget support. Australia, for example, provides sector budget support for modernising Fiji’s Financial Management Act and its medium-term debt management strategy. New Zealand, in co-ordination with a Friends of Pacific Budget Support group has used budget support modalities to respond to COVID-19 and build resilience in Pacific small island developing states.
The UNHCR and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland together with the governments of Colombia and Uganda jointly evaluated the protection of the rights of refugees during the COVID-19 pandemic under the auspices of the COVID-19 Global Evaluation Coalition.
How do we know if DAC Members are moving in the right direction?
Stakeholder feedback, monitoring and evaluation demonstrate that interventions are fully relevant and adapted to country context.
Use of partner country systems increases over time.
Partner country institutions and systems maintain the intervention when support is phased out and have the capacity and resources to do so.
Interventions by different DAC members are harmonised and co‑ordinated, reducing fragmentation and duplication of efforts, leading to greater efficiency and lower transaction costs.
Monitoring Exercise, Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation.
Enhancing Effectiveness to Accelerate Sustainable Development: Global Compendium of Good Practices, Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation.
Making Development Co‑operation More Effective, OECD/UNDP, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Busan Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation: Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Accra Agenda for Action, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, OECD Publishing, Paris.
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