The system of international development is broken, warns Reforming International Development, in a consultation paper released today giving their emerging findings.

Co-created by multiple stakeholders and funded by H & S Davidson Trust, six main findings have emerged from work that began back in September 2022:

1. We confirm the findings… that there is near-universal acceptance of the idea that the system of international development is broken
2. There are innumerable conversations going on about how to fix it. The search for ‘systems change’ is everywhere
3. ‘#ShiftThePower’ is the most favoured and well documented way forward
4. Despite all the efforts, progress at reform on the supply-side of the funding relationship is slow and patchy
5. Reform on the demand side of the relationship is rapid and increasingly effective
6. There are promising signs of new approaches that may produce the kind of system that people want

The authors of the report warn that study after study has shown the ineffectiveness of international aid because the rewards of the system are geared towards the supply-side of the funding relationship rather than those who are meant to benefit.

What we need, says Reforming ID, is to use finance in a more effective way based on the principle of international cooperation that ensures that much less of it gets lost in transaction costs extended by agencies on the supply-side.

How to get involved, from the authors

• Share the findings and send comments and thoughts on what resonates and what’s missing to rid@gmail.com
• Participate in constituency conversations (details within the report)
• Contribute to the conversation and data collection by writing an article for Alliance or by commenting on existing pieces on the portal to share different perspectives and stimulate debate