Publisher's Synopsis
Rapid and profound changes are taking place in international development. There has been a rise in the ideals of participation and partnership, and attempts to enable the voices of the poor to be heard. Yet embedded traditions, vested interests and bureaucratic inertia mean that old behaviours persist and planning continues as though free of chaotic interactions among stakeholders. This book exposes the need to recognize the complex, non-linear nature of development assistance and how bureaucratic procedures and power relations hinder poverty reduction in the new aid environment. A host of academics, policy-makers and practitioners expose the challenges and opportunities facing the aid community today and argue for greater attention to issues of accountability and the adoption of rights-based approaches. They reveal the highly politicized and dynamic aid environment in which they work, and challenge existing political, institutional and personal ways of working. Crucially, the book shows how translating rhetoric into practice relies on changing the attitudes and behaviours of individual actors.
