Conditional effects of development aid on political perceptions: mixed-methods evidence from North-East Afghanistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 793-819
Author(s):  
Alexander De Juan ◽  
Kristóf Gosztonyi ◽  
Jan Koehler
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
International Development ◽  
Political Trust ◽  
International Aid ◽  
Development Aid ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
North East ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Basic Services ◽  
The Impact

Can aid create political trust in conflict-affected states? International aid organizations often argue that supporting states in providing basic services can contribute to strengthening state–society relations. Previous studies in international development have indicated that the provision of basic services can indeed improve people’s attitudes towards state institutions. We take this research a step further: in addition to analysing the impact of aid on political trust, we assess how violence influences this effect. We argue that aid can create opportunities for constructive state–society interactions. As violence increases, however, development-related interactions are crowded out by security-related ones. Violence also fosters corrupt aid governance, which undermines the positive effects of aid on public perceptions. We analyse this hypothesis with a mixed-methods research design that combines original opinion survey data with qualitative interview material systematically collected in 252 villages of northeast Afghanistan. Based on a combination of (a) quantitative analyses, (b) a comparison of most-similar villages, (c) a systematic comparison of qualitative survey response patterns across levels of insecurity, and (d) an in-depth analysis of interview material on aid and trust in highly insecure areas, we show that violence negatively impacts the relative relevance as well as the quality of aid-related state–society interactions. These findings indicate that international aid agencies should refocus from mainly output-oriented project appraisal, design, and monitoring to a stronger process orientation that maximizes state–society interaction and prevents elite capture in areas exposed to high levels of violence.

Bilateral Aid Allocation for International Development: Impact of the Financial Crisis

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (4) ◽  
pp. 100-121
Author(s):  
Elena Balter ◽  
Aleksandra Morozkina
Keyword(s):  
Financial Crisis ◽  
International Development ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Development Assistance ◽  
Development Aid ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
External Financing ◽  
Bilateral Aid ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Allocation Decisions

This article examines the impact of financial crisis of 2008-2009 on allocation of development aid. Using OECD data on Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocation for international development by key donor countries, authors test three hypotheses: first, general impact of crisis on ODA allocation; second, impact of crisis on three recipient income groups; third, impact of crisis on relative importance of analyzed factors for ODA allocation decisions. The results show that general impact of crisis on ODA volumes was negative, although donors preferred to increase aid to low-income countries. Impact of factors describing economic situation in donor countries (public debt level, government expenditures and donor growth) increased after crisis. Donor countries might make use of these results to increase efficiency of their development assistance strategies, whereas recipient countries may exploit these results in order to attract more external financing for development.

A Race to the Top? The Aid Transparency Index and the Social Power of Global Performance Indicators

2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (03) ◽  
pp. 579-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Honig ◽  
Catherine Weaver
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Social Power ◽  
Peer Pressure ◽  
Development Aid ◽  
World Politics ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Donor Behavior ◽  
Global Performance ◽  
The Impact

AbstractRecent studies on global performance indicators (GPIs) reveal the distinct power that nonstate actors can accrue and exercise in world politics. How and when does this happen? Using a mixed-methods approach, we examine the impact of the Aid Transparency Index (ATI), an annual rating and rankings index produced by the small UK-based NGO Publish What You Fund. The ATI seeks to shape development aid donors' behavior with respect to their transparency—the quality and kind of information they publicly disclose. To investigate the ATI's effect, we construct an original panel data set of donor transparency performance before and after ATI inclusion (2006–2013) to test whether (and which) donors alter their behavior in response to inclusion in the ATI. To further probe the causal mechanisms that explain variations in donor behavior we use qualitative research, including over 150 key informant interviews conducted between 2010 and 2017. Our analysis uncovers the conditions under which the ATI influences powerful aid donors. Our mixed-methods evidence reveals how this happens. Consistent with Kelley and Simmons's central argument that GPIs exercise influence via social pressure, we find that the ATI shapes donor behavior primarily via direct effects on elites: the diffusion of professional norms, organizational learning, and peer pressure.

scholarly journals A mixed-methods evaluation of transformational change in NHS North East

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (47) ◽  
pp. 1-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J Hunter ◽  
Jonathan Erskine ◽  
Chris Hicks ◽  
Tom McGovern ◽  
Adrian Small ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Transformational Change ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundThe North East Transformation System (NETS) was conceived as an experiment in adopting large-scale transformational change across a NHS region in England. Although the NHS in the North East performs well, the health of the population ranks among the poorest in the country. The NETS was viewed as a means of addressing this conundrum. It comprised three components: Vision, Compact and Method.ObjectivesThe evaluation study comprised six elements: a literature review; an evaluation of the evolution and impact of the NETS; an identification of the factors facilitating, and/or acting as barriers to, successful change; an assessment of the role of the NETS project team; establishing how far the changes introduced through the NETS became embedded and sustained; and an evaluation of the impact of the NETS on end users.DesignThe research comprised a longitudinal mixed-methods study conducted over 3.5 years. Research methods included 68 semistructured interviews, observation, two focus groups, documentary analysis and interrupted time series (ITS) analysis. The ITS component comprised analysis of five rapid process improvement workshops in two of the sites.SettingThe research setting was the NHS North East region until its abolition in April 2013 following the UK government’s NHS changes. Fourteen sites were selected for the study, comprising primary care trusts as commissioners, and provider trusts including mental health, community, acute care and ambulance services.ParticipantsThe study respondents were members of staff in the 14 sites drawn from different levels of their organisations.InterventionsThe NETS comprised a complex set of interventions aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of care pathways for staff and patients.Main outcome measuresThe ‘receptive contexts for change’ framework was used to evaluate the transformational change process and its outcomes.Data sourcesQualitative parts of the study drew on semistructured interviews, focus groups, observation and documents. Quantitative parts of the study used routinely collected NHS data.ResultsTransformational change in a complex system takes time and demands consistency, constancy of purpose and organisational stability. The NETS was seriously disrupted by the NHS changes announced in July 2010. Progress was sustained at four of the study sites, but slowed or ceased at the other sites. Leadership style was found to be critical to the success of transformational change.ConclusionsThe NETS was a bold and ambitious initiative which succeeded in bringing about real and lasting change in some parts of the North East. However, it was unable to fully realise its vision and purpose partly because of the widespread reorganisation of the NHS by the new coalition government.Future workThere is a need to develop new methods to understand how change occurs, or fails, in complex settings like the NHS. There is a need for more in-depth studies in those sites that were able to implement and sustain change. This would inform future policy and practice. The results of the quantitative analyses were less conclusive than those obtained by qualitative methods. Further development of mixed-methods approaches would provide additional support for evidence-based decision-making.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

The Geography of Japanese Development Aid to China, 1978–98

2000 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 925-946 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Muldavin
Keyword(s):  
International Aid ◽  
Transitional Economy ◽  
Development Aid ◽  
Social Conditions ◽  
Institutional Changes ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Geographic Patterns ◽  
The World ◽  
Aid Programs ◽  
The Impact

Japan is the largest donor of development aid to China, and China is the largest recipient of international aid and arguably the most significant emergent transitional economy in the world. A survey of Japan's aid is helpful in any attempt to understand the impact of aid on China's national and regional development and on state strategies. Japan's aid is closely tied to the health of Japan's economy—the second largest economy in the world. Though certainly not unique in this regard, Japan's aid has a reputation for serving Japan's own national interests at the expense of the recipient nation's environmental and social conditions. The results of this survey reveal: (a) clearly defined and specific geographic patterns to Japan's aid to China; (b) changing sectoral patterns in Japan's aid to China; (c) important institutional changes underway in Japan's aid programs; and (d) a transfer of capital from Japan to China which serve the divergent goals of each state, though not necessarily in ways intended by each state.

scholarly journals An in-depth analysis of the individual impact of controlled language rules on machine translation output: a mixed-methods approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaimaa Marzouk
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Machine Translation ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Neural System ◽  
System Level ◽  
Automatic Evaluation ◽  
Content Quality ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Controlled Language

AbstractExamining the general impact of Controlled Language (CL) rules in the context of Machine Translation (MT) has been an area of research for many years. The present study focuses on the following question: how do CL rules impact MT output individually? By analysing a German corpus-based test suite of technical texts that have been translated into English by different MT systems, this study endeavours to answer this question at different levels: the general impact of CL rules (rule- and system-independent), their impact at rule level (system-independent) as well as at rule and system level. The results of five MT systems are analysed and contrasted: a rule-based system, a statistical system, two differently constructed hybrid systems, and a neural system. For this, a mixed-methods triangulation approach that includes error annotation, human evaluation, and automatic evaluation was applied. The data was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively in terms of CL influence on the following parameters: number and type of MT errors, style and content quality, and scores of two automatic evaluation metrics. In line with many studies, the results show a general positive impact of the applied CL rules on the MT output. However, at rule level, only four rules proved to have positive effects on the aforementioned parameters; three rules had negative effects on the parameters; and two rules did not show any significant impact. At rule and system level, the rules affected the MT systems differently, as expected. Rules that had a positive impact on earlier MT approaches did not show the same impact on the neural MT approach. Furthermore, neural MT delivered distinctly better results than earlier MT approaches, namely the highest error-free, style and content quality rates both before and after applying the rules, which indicates that neural MT offers a promising solution that no longer requires CL rules for improving the MT output.

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE INDIA ECODEVELOPMENT PROJECT: EXPERIENCES, PROSPECTS AND LESSONS LEARNT

2001 ◽  
Vol 03 (03) ◽  
pp. 373-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
ASHA RAJVANSHI
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Development Aid ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Lessons Learnt ◽  
Mandatory Requirement ◽  
International Development Aid ◽  
The Impact

The India Ecodevelopment Project (IEP), supported from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and International Development Aid (IDA), funds of The World Bank is a major initiative to promote the conservation of biological diversity through the implementation of the ecodevelopment strategies around select Protected Areas (PAs) in India. The environmental review of the IEP became a mandatory requirement for fulfilling the investment eligibility criteria of the donor agencies. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was applied as an environmental appraisal tool for the evaluation of proposed investment under IEP. The paper discusses the lessons learnt from the application of SEA to IEP in two select PAs viz. Gir National Park and Sanctuary and Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. SEA led to the identification of the impact potential of some of the activities proposed under IEP. Accordingly, appropriate strategies and feasible alternatives have been suggested for reducing undesirable changes in the ecological, economic and social fabric of the two PAs' environment. The SEA has been undoubtedly recognised as a powerful means to steer the IEP along environmentally sustainable path.

scholarly journals Same-sex lives between the language of international LGBT rights, international aid, and anti-homosexuality

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 284-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hakan Seckinelgin
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
International Aid ◽  
Development Aid ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
Lgbt Rights ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Aid Conditionality ◽  
Bisexual And Transgender ◽  
International Development Aid

This article considers how international development aid is used in engaging with sexuality rights in Africa. It considers both the emergence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights as aid conditionality in international aid relations and responses to these from African political leaders. The central issue identified is that political leaders for and against these rights have marginalized and ignored voices of the sexually diverse people in their engagements in African settings. Here, a problem emerges that people’s own claims for rights are subsumed within the broader agendas set by politicians at international and national levels. This article analyzes these relations and their outcomes for activists and civil society groups in diverse African settings by considering the language of LGBT rights used by international political actors and the ways in which African political leaders develop their own language on the issue.

scholarly journals Reducing Old Age Vulnerabilities in Developing Countries: The Role of Income-Support on Poor Older People’s Health

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oladayo Nathaniel Awojobi ◽  
Jane Temidayo Abe
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Older People ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Income Support ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Impact

This systematic review is on the impact of income-support on older people’s health in developing countries. A systematic search for non-randomised and mixed methods studies published between 2013 and 2017 was conducted in academic and grey literature databases, websites and references lists of relevant studies. Study methodological quality was assessed with a risk of bias tool. Inclusion criteria were met by 7 studies, 3 in Latin America, two each in Africa and Asia. Five of the studies used a quantitative non-randomised approach while the remaining two used mixed methods analysis. Income-support was discovered to have positive effects on older people’s nutritional status, cognitive functions, health and psychological wellbeing. Income-support offers older people access to healthcare services and protection against detrimental effects of lack of money in accessing healthcare services. Key Words: Health, income-support, older people

scholarly journals Revisiting Women Empowerment Through a Cultural Lens a In-Depth Analysis of Empowerment Methodologies in Horticulture in Rural Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah De Smet ◽  
Smaranda Boroş
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Cultural Dimension ◽  
Women Empowerment ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
The Impact

As previous research in international development has clearly demonstrated (see Banerjee and Prasad, 2008 for an overview), cultural values have an impact on the conceptualization of empowerment. In this paper we explore the implications of Power Distance as a cultural dimension for the use of participatory methodologies toward achieving women empowerment in rural areas in the Global South. Our critical analysis of cultural differences between the intervention facilitator (a Western-based NGO) and a rural community in SNNPR (Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Regions) in Ethiopia reveals how discrepancies in the perception of cultural values impacted the different stages of the intervention. These discrepancies ranged from the principles of facilitation (facilitation from the back and its paradoxical effects in such hierarchical contexts) to the focus on tools (on equality between individuals rather than focus on the family as the smallest unit). Discrepancies also surfaced from the selection criteria of participants (highly vulnerable groups; one spouse per family; number of participants from one community all of which prevented the impact of the intervention to be more powerful in the long run) and from how the participants are organized during trainings (the ratio of mixed vs. segregated groups and the criteria of group segregation – this can play a large role in regard to the potential openness of conversations and the creation of safe spaces to explore new identities which are the key to empowerment). Through all the stages of the intervention, we make suggestions on how to better implement such methodologies in the future, in a context-sensitive manner, by considering the cultural differences in assumptions and practices.

scholarly journals Evaluating the impact of a community-based social prescribing intervention on people with type 2 diabetes in North East England: mixed-methods study protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e026826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Moffatt ◽  
John Wildman ◽  
Tessa M Pollard ◽  
Linda Penn ◽  
Nicola O’Brien ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Healthcare Use ◽  
Long Term Conditions ◽  
Social Prescribing ◽  
North East ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionSocial prescribing enables healthcare professionals to use voluntary and community sector resources to improve support for people with long-term conditions. It is widely promoted in the UK as a way to address complex health, psychological and social issues presented in primary care, yet there is insufficient evidence of effectiveness or value for money. This study aims to evaluate the impact and costs of a link-worker social prescribing intervention on the health and healthcare use of adults aged 40–74 with type 2 diabetes, living in a multi-ethnic area of high socioeconomic deprivation.Methods and analysisMixed-methods approach combining (1) quantitative quasi-experimental methods to evaluate the effects of social prescribing on health and healthcare use and cost-effectiveness analysis and (2) qualitative ethnographic methods to observe how patients engage with social prescribing. Quantitative data comprise Secondary Uses Service data and Quality Outcomes Framework data. The primary outcome is glycated haemoglobin, and secondary outcomes are secondary care use, systolic blood pressure, weight/body mass index, cholesterol and smoking status; these data will be analysed longitudinally over 3 years using four different control conditions to estimate a range of treatment effects. The ranges where the intervention is cost-effective will be identified from the perspective of the healthcare provider. Qualitative data comprise participant observation and interviews with purposively sampled service users, and focus groups with link-workers (intervention providers). Analysis will involve identification of themes and synthesising and theorising the data. Finally, a coding matrix will identify convergence and divergence among all study components.Ethics and disseminationUK NHS Integrated Research Approval System Ethics approved the quantitative research (Reference no. 18/LO/0631). Durham University Research Ethics Committee approved the qualitative research. The authors will publish the findings in peer-reviewed journals and disseminate to practitioners, service users and commissioners via a number of channels including professional and patient networks, conferences and social media. Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed journals.

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