Assessment of Budgetary Resources and Means in the Area of Development and Cooperation

The objective of this study is to review “the output of the development and cooperation programmes financed by the Community budget over the period 2000-2005”. Given the potentially very broad scope of work, a selective approach was adopted. In particular, the topics selected for analysis include: (i)the coherence between policy objectives and the allocation of resources, (ii) the performance of the EC-funded aid projects, and (iii) the administrative costs incurred in the management of the EC aid program. In addition, following a specific indication in the terms of reference, the study also reviews the role of non governmental organizations (NGO) in the framework of the EC aid policy. The study was carried out over a period of little more than a month by two consultants, with some research and editorial support. Given the limited time and resources available, the study is entirely based on desk work. The main sources used include: the EC budget, policy documents published by the Commission, evaluation studies and audit reports of EC-funded operations, and various publications from the OECD Directorate for Development (commonly known as DAC) and other donor organizations.