Effect of Participation and Alignment on the Sustainability of Development Aid Output: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Uganda
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: Most aid project output does not last long after the departure of external donors. This inconvenient truth remains unchanged despite the introduction decades ago of participatory approaches and the alignment of aid content, on the belief that they would cure this problem via the generation of a sense of ownership and the reduction in recurrent costs. To understand this paradox, this study re-examines the impact of participation and alignment on the sustainability of aid project output through a field experiment in Uganda using an aid project that promotes household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) as an example. The results reveal that the true impact of alignment is negative, while the impact of participation is zero. Specifically, when the aid content is changed from nonaligned to aligned while the use of a nonparticipatory approach is unchanged, the rate of HWTS retention drops by 35.4 percentage points after 2 weeks and by 43.7 percentage points after another 4 months. This finding suggests that at least the unconditional alignment of aid content should be reconsidered to prevent the further deterioration of already unsustainable aid project output.
Author: Satoru Mikami
Institution: Ehime University
Language: English
Subfield: Development
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,890
OpenAlex ID: W4297175636