Dialogue in Pursuit of Development - Are you looking for one of ...

Credibility in the dialogue process is also related to individual coherence.
Professionalism in this area is based on personal attitudes and values, and
the ability to put them across to the dialogue partner;
The increasing importance of economic and political reform as conditions
for aid; and
Questions such as aid dependency, ownership, partnership, good governance,
good performers etc. (Annex).
This open-ended approach has of course presented a wide variety of contributions
of very different kinds. There is no standard format, there is no
common understanding of the concept of dialogue and the writing style
differs considerably from one contribution to another. We hope, however,
that this diversity in tackling the subject in question, will contribute to an
improved understanding of the processes where the dialogue is the key tool
in creating improved practices.
Dialogue in the development debate
Over the years, new concepts such as concerned participation, sustainability,
ownership and as of late partnership have been introduced in the development
debate and dialogue has been considered the most important strategic
means to reach the objectives.
Both parties in an aid relationship come to the table with a multitude of
background variables. These variables stem from the development agendas
of the countries concerned, but also from different kinds of other domestic
agendas such as agricultural or trade interests. The dialogue in pursuit of
development therefore needs to take into account the great variety of forces
and interests that influence and drive development. What has become more
evident during the 1990s is that only optimising the requirements of development
co-operation does not suffice. Development takes place in a context
– political, economic, social and cultural. All these dimensions reinforce
or create obstacles to change.
The parties often prepare themselves in different ways as well. The donor
might prepare country analyses, sector strategies and project/programme
documents for internal decisions. The recipient might write development
plans, arrange annual budget discussions, write public expenditure reviews,
or start poverty assessment programmes. Preparation is important but can
also if there is lack of flexibility be an impediment to compromise, which is
a requirement, if the dialogue is to lead to a result acceptable to both parties.
Real problems arise if the parties are not equally well prepared. Many
times the partners do not have access to the same resources for preparations.
An added problem in the aid relationship is the notion of aid being only
a relationship between two parties which is a simplification of a considerably
more complex reality.
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