Jim Kolbe
Effective Support for Development
Progress in development relies on domestic policies in developing countries themselves, but donors can do much to stimulate development. Past crises and recessions have taught us that both the quality and quantity of development assistance matter, not least to prevent further increases in poverty, so it is critical to not only meet ODA commitments, but also to deliver results. There is commitment among many stakeholders to use aid money more effectively to reduce poverty. Policymakers have sought to build international consensus around the roles and responsibilities of developing countries, the private sector, and the donor community (the Monterrey Consensus); around an international results framework (the MDGs); and around good practice in effective aid delivery (the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Accra Agenda for Action), which are supported by an increasing focus on division of labor among donors. This approach, while fundamentally sound, needs to be more effectively translated into action. A large gap remains between these laudable international goals and the reality on the ground. Donors could show their taxpayers that aid is working to deliver results. Moreover, economic growth remains the primary force to promote development and is a critical priority, especially in a downturn.
Challenge Members:
- Richard Manning (Lead Coordinator, United Kingdom) was Chair of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) from June 2003 until January 2008. Mr. Manning spent nearly 40 years working for the UK Department for International Development, including as Director General for Policy.
- Rodney Bent (United States) is Deputy Chief Executive Officer for the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Prior to joining MCC in 2005, Mr. Bent was a staff member of the House Appropriations Committee, where he recommended appropriation levels and policies for various U.S. agencies. He was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service. He also worked at the Office of Management and Budget and the US Treasury Department.
- Nancy Birdsall (United States) is the founding president of the Center for Global Development (CGD). Prior to launching CGD, Dr. Birdsall served as Senior Associate and Director of the Economic Reform Project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Executive Vice-President of the Inter-American Development Bank, and in several capacities at the World Bank.
- Kate Vyborny (United States) was a Program Coordinator for Nancy Birdsall, the President of Global Development, where she managed projects on aid effectiveness, including "cash on delivery" aid and measuring the quality of aid. She is now a graduate student in economics at the University of Oxford.
- Ayah Mahgoub (United States) is the Program Coordinator for Nancy Birdsall. She works on aid effectiveness initiatives including the Cash on Delivery Aid and Measuring the Quality of Aid projects. She joined the Center for Global Development in August 2008 after completing a public interest fellowship at Phipps Community Development Corporation.
- Jamie Drummond (United Kingdom) is Executive Director and Global Strategy for ONE, which merged with DATA – Debt, AIDS, Trade, and Africa in early 2008. He co-founded DATA with Bono and Bobby Shriver and others in 2002 and ONE with partners in 2004. ONE’'s mission is to help African and other developing countries beat AIDS and achieve the Millennium Goals by creating a supportive movement, especially in the United States and Europe.
- Bill Lane (United States) is a leading business advocate for free trade and global engagement in Washington DC. He has been with Caterpillar since 1975 and has been the company’s Washington Director for Government Affairs since 1998. Mr. Lane is a Co-Chair of the U.S. Latin America Trade Coalition and co-president of the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign and served on the HELP Commission in 2005.
- Gerry Salole (Belgium) is currently the Chief Executive of the European Foundation Centre (EFC) as well as the Chairperson of TrustAfrica. Previous roles include representing the Southern Africa Office of the Ford Foundation based in Johannesburg and as the Director of the Department of Programme Documentation and Communication of the Bernard van Leer Foundation.
- Sevdalina Rukanova (Belgium) is responsible for the development of the European Foundation Centre (EFC) International Programmes & EFC Interest Groups and Funder Networks since 2002. She has extensive knowledge on philanthropy in Europe and on practice and trends in international funding by European foundations.
- Smita Singh (United States) is the Director of the Global Development Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Ms. Singh is developing the Foundation's new philanthropic program to address major global development challenges. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was a Scholar at the Harvard Academy of International and Area Studies.
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