Sadistic Celebrity Nun Sainted.

[ukcouple]

.. do the funds get channeled through accountable, expert institutions that work hand-in-hand with Indonesian partners to figure out the best use of the funds?

I assume so..

The British Government is accountable to the British Taxpayer for how public funds are spent.

That's the way it is supposed to work in a Democracy.

 

[Puspawarna]

I assume so..

The British Government is accountable to the British Taxpayer for how public funds are spent.

That's the way it is supposed to work in a Democracy.

Usually what happens is that governments don't try to do everything themselves (a notion most conservatives can get behind, eh?). They contract out, in the interests of improving efficiency, to organizations that specialise in administering aid. In some cases this means providing their share of funds to multi-lateral institutions like the World Bank/IMF, ADB, etc., and in some cases it means contracting with private firms (heavy hitters that come to mind, at least in this part of the world, include Cardno, Chemonics, SMEC, Coffey and others) - or perhaps with those dread NGOs!

Keep in mind that government funds remain accountable in the system above - over the years I have been witness to more than one in-depth audit, and I also know that procurement rules are adhered to with almost pathological precision, out of fear that already-spent funds will be taken away and the contractor will have to pay for everything they'd done out of pocket.

Would you like to change this system? How and why?

 

[ukcouple]

Would you like to change this system? How and why?

Geeez... I dunno... I have never heard of Cardno, Chemonics, SMEC or Coffey.

I know that in the UK it is the Department for International Development which dishes out Taxpayers money around the World for Infrastructure Projects and to help the needy.

I hope they spend it wisely but I don't know if they do. Presumably there are checks and balances.

If the money is going through the World Bank/IMF... well.. you know the salaries those guys are on.

 

[Puspawarna]

If the money is going through the World Bank/IMF... well.. you know the salaries those guys are on.

Pretty sweet, although less than most of them could command in the private sector. Good friends of mine are trying to ensure they have the funds to put 4 kids through college (two adopted from a SE Asian orphanage, so they weren't just carelessly procreating) on one of those salaries. They do okay, but aren't swimming in the lap of luxury by any means.

I wouldn't necessarily expect anyone outside the field to know about Cardno, et all. If you did, it would be pretty impressive. If you don't, I think the take-away is that these are somewhat complicated topics. It is fun to put forth opinions about topics we aren't expert on (and forums like ours would be dull if we all did not indulge in that sort of thing at least a little bit). But reality is usually considerably more nuanced. It certainly is in this case.

 

[ukcouple]

... It is fun to put forth opinions about topics we aren't expert on

is it.?

Bit patronizing don't you think.?

 

[Puspawarna]

is it.?

Bit patronizing don't you think.?

Didn't intend it that way. I was referring to myself as much as anyone else, believe me. Anyway, how about "it's fun to express opinions on a wide range of topics, even the ones we don't deal with professionally." If that is still patronizing, I'll just own my words, and patronize us both. Plus a lot of other forum members.

 

[ukcouple]

OK..

 

[Terry MacArsey]

I'm not sure why but some of the previous posts reminded me of a book that I read about 35 years ago when I was in Africa which I thought at the time was a fantastic read so I looked up on Google and I've been able to find it again.

It's written, originally in French by Aminata Sow Fall and called La Greve des Battu (In English, which is the language I read it in it's called The Beggars Strike).

Basically it's a story set in an unnamed country in West Africa.


The sight of disease-ridden beggars in the streets is giving the town a bad name, and the tourists are starting to stay away. If the Director of Public Health and Hygiene can get rid of them he will have done a great service to the health and economy of the nation - not to mention his own promotion prospects. A plan of military precision is put into action to rid the streets of these verminous scroungers. But the beggars are organized, too. They know that giving alms is a divine obligation and that Allah's good will is vital to worldly promotion. So when the beggars withdraw their charitable service, the pious city civil servants and businessmen start to panic

 

[William King]

I'm not sure why but some of the previous posts reminded me of a book that I read about 35 years ago when I was in Africa which I thought at the time was a fantastic read so I looked up on Google and I've been able to find it again.

It's written, originally in French by Aminata Sow Fall and called La Greve des Battu (In English, which is the language I read it in it's called The Beggars Strike).

Basically it's a story set in an unnamed country in West Africa.

Only hard copies on Amazon...


The Beggars' Strike, or, The Dregs of Society
Paperback

July 20, 1981

by Aminata Sow Fall (Author), Dorothy S. Blair ( Translator)

---

Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from $54.07

don't think I'll be paying that for a second hand paper back....

 

[Tupai Hitam]

But his characterisation is pretty harsh.

I am sorry if my characterization of development aid programs was unduly harsh. It was based just on my own experiences and some anecdotes from aid workers.

One thing that irks me about development aid projects, is that some are couched in cryptic jargon that lacks actual examples of what is being done/proposed. For example, yesterday I was in a meeting discussing funding for a youth empowerment project. No one could tell me precisely what this involved, beyond "empowering youths through capacity building with a training lecture on soft skills". I asked what the soft-skills involved, and was told "they learn how to hold meetings".

Sorry for straying off-topic from Mother Teresa. Development aid projects are of course generally motivated by more tangible, socially beneficial goals than getting people to accept suffering without question to get into Heaven, so I was guilty of false equivalence.

 

[Tupai Hitam]

The Beggars' Strike, or, The Dregs of Society

It does look like an interesting book. I could only find online an excerpt of the stage play version, which has this nice line:
"What better way for God to hear you than through the uplifted prayers of a child? When you give the children a donation, God receives your prayers."

 

[Puspawarna]

One thing that irks me about development aid projects, is that some are couched in cryptic jargon that lacks actual examples of what is being done/proposed.

This is one of my pet peeves. In fact just yesterday I finished a draft paper for a client and they asked me to focus less on specifics and more on "strategic thinking" behind the specifics. I told them (politely) that I think the "strategic" part is bullshit.

 

[Bad_azz]

Me too- I like plain clear speaking, I use it.
I am capable of writing reams in mumbo-jumbo for government papers etc. but at the end of the day it impresses no one and confuses many . I figure most of it is written to muddy the message up
Question : What was the outcome of the study?
Answer: We don't know.
A government paper will take 30 pages to say that.

"One thing that irks me about development aid projects, is that some are couched in cryptic jargon that lacks actual examples of what is being done/proposed."

 

[Scooterindo]

Me too- I like plain clear speaking, I use it.
I am capable of writing reams in mumbo-jumbo for government papers etc. but at the end of the day it impresses no one and confuses many . I figure most of it is written to muddy the message up
Question : What was the outcome of the study?
Answer: We don't know.
A government paper will take 30 pages to say that.

"One thing that irks me about development aid projects, is that some are couched in cryptic jargon that lacks actual examples of what is being done/proposed."

I used to have a line manager like that " what we have to do moving forward is get our ducks in a row and immediately go for the low hanging fruit" would be a typical sentence out of his mouth.