This course examines the history and current realities of international bilateral and multilateral development assistance. After placing globalization and development assistance in an historical context, we will look at different kinds of aid which exists, the debate over what is to be developed, the project planning and assessment process, and the rise in importance of NGOs in the aid arena today.

We then review and critique the current aid emphasis on promoting democratization, civil society and human rights, and the mandates of the Millennium Declaration. The course culminates in our own aid consortium simulation, where students have the opportunity to experience the decision-making process first-hand. Our emphasis throughout is on the development process and its critics, which could lead to a greater understanding of both the possibilities and the constraints of aid.

We will try to break down into small group discussions as much as possible. Therefore, try to finish all readings prior to the beginning of the segment in which they will be discussed. Limited recommended readings have been included as background supplements and for those who would like to read further on a given issue. Readings other than those from the required texts have been kept at a minimum, and are accessoble below via this course website.

Course Objectives

1. To understand how the global system of bilateral and multilateral development assistance is structured and functions today, and to assess its effectiveness critically;

2. To understand the historical background to the current system, as well as various orientations towards globalization and development assistance;

3. To gain an awareness of the various actors involved in international development assistance and in the development process, particularly i) the United Nations and its constituent multilateral donor agencies; ii) key bilateral donor agencies (especially JICA and USAID); iii) international non-governmental organizations (INGOs); and iv) local non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

4. To learn specific skills including how a project is envisioned and planned, assessment tools (e.g., RRA, LFA and PRA), how to promote participatory development, and standard evaluative methods (e.g., ‘successes, failures and lessons learned’)