Evaluating Country Programmes - OECD Online Bookshop

Background
OECD 1999
CPE in the Netherland’s Development Assistance: The Case of Egypt
Country programmes in the Netherlands’ development assistance
Country programmes in Dutch development co-operation were introduced in
1984. They were meant to provide a general framework and indications of priority
areas or sectors for future co-operation. The bilateral country policy documents
contained an analysis of the economy and society of the recipient country, a review
of Dutch assistance and policy, and medium-term programme intentions. The country
programmes did not contain firm financial commitments, nor did they incorporate
concrete targets for the period under review. They did, however, provide the
framework for annual plans, which contain more precise intentions and detailed
commitments for specific development projects and programmes.
The first set of programmes was relatively brief and covered the period 1985-1988.
Subsequent programmes for the period 1989-1992 were more detailed. In those for
1992-1995, priority countries were grouped in regions in order to allow for an analysis of
broader common development concerns in these regions.
Currently, programming takes place at regional level which provides a broad
framework for overall foreign policy, and specifies strategic objectives for political,
economic, cultural and aid relations integrally. Documents were published
in 1997-1998 and cover larger regions such as the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa
and Eastern Europe.
Country policy programmes and regional foreign policy documents are drafted
by staff of the regional departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Inputs for the
drafts are provided by staff of the Netherlands’ embassies in the countries
concerned and thematic and sectoral sections in The Hague. Recipient countries do
not participate in drawing up Egypt’s country programme. The Netherlands’
embassy acts as intermediary to ensure that the proposals correspond with the
policy priorities and procedures of the recipient country. After approval by the
Minister for Development Co-operation and, recently, also by the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, the programmes are submitted to Parliament.
Country programmes and annual plans usually review the preceding period.
However, such reviews tend to be superficial and are not based on a thorough
evaluation of the performance of the previous programme or plan period. Until
recently, revisions of country programmes were largely inspired by changes in the
Netherlands’ development assistance policies and agreements reached at international
donor platforms rather than by performance of the ongoing activities and
policy changes in the recipient country.
Egypt: foreign aid in the country context
Egypt covers approximately 1 million sq. kms, of which, because of its arid climate,
only 35 000 sq. kms are habitable and cultivated. In 1996, its population was
109