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

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process. Increased participation will further translate into a greater sense of
ownership, especially when an effort is made for consensus formation.
A promising new beginning to address the above is found in the Poverty
Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) process. Launched by the World Bank
(WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in response to the ongoing
reflection within the development community on the effectiveness of
aid, the PRSPs call for a change in the design and management of international
development co-operation, at the core of which is the emphasis on
country ownership and control. The following paper will examine the role
of dialogue in the context of this newly emerging agenda – an agenda that
reflects the wide consensus reached in the 1990s, through a series of Global
UN Conferences, and that is encapsulated in the Millennium Declaration
and Millennium Development Goals (MDG), which focus on human development
outcomes as the focal point for coordinated action between
development partners. 2
Defining the role and locus of policy dialogue in the poverty reduction
development agenda requires a better understanding of its nature and its
potential to catalyze and propel the transformation of society. This paper
will examine the limitations of PRSP conditionality as pertaining to policy
dialogue, testing it against the application of the generally accepted principles
of local ownership, participation, and empowerment. The main objective
of the argument will be to outline the useful and constructive role that
well structured and genuine dialogue can play in promoting ownership and
facilitating sustainable transformation. In search of the role of dialogue, it
will look at a number of pertinent questions: In a world of huge disparities,
perverse interests, glaringly unfair practices, and asymmetric power relationships,
does it make sense to talk of ‘win-win’ dialogue? How can the playing
field be leveled for the sake of reducing poverty and inequity?
Have we learnt from the past?
“The initiative for change can come from different places but the most
responsibility lies with those who are more powerful in a relationship
(Chambers, 2001).”
Development aid was conceived in the post-war era as an attempt to fill the
gaps between developed and developing countries. The first few decades of
its conception were dominated by growth theories of development
2 The eight MDGs are: i) eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; ii) achieving universal primary
education; iii) promoting gender equality and empowerment of women; iv) reducing child mortality;
v) reducing maternal mortality; vi) combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB; vii) ensuring environmental
sustainability; and viii) developing a global partnership for development. Specific targets
and timeframes have been identified for each one of the MDGs.