1. Bringing Politics into Technical Assistance: How far have we come?
Richmond University
17 May 2018

2. What is Technical Assistance?
“Knowledge-based assistance to governments intended to shape policies and institutions, support implementation and build organisational capacity”
Scale
OECD aid statistics: $18.4 billion spent on ‘Technical Cooperation’ (2016)
But most TA is a component of wider programmes, and not recorded
An industry worth tens of billions per year
Types
Scholarship and courses
On-the-job training, mentoring and coaching
Studies and analysis
Embedded experts in projects, to support design and implementation
Embedded experts in ministries and agencies
Twinning arrangements
Support for cross-cutting reforms (PFM and civil service)
TA facilities
Triangular cooperation
Investments in the knowledge economy

3. Evolution
Individual: Scholarships, training, filling capacity gaps with foreign experts (1970s)
Organisation: Organisational audits, change management, twinning (1980s and 90s)
Institutional environment: Cross-cutting reforms (PMF; civil service), sector-wide approaches, political systems, voice and accountability (2000s on)

4. Does TA work? Weak evidence base Thin overall pattern of results
Underinvestment in monitoring and evaluation
Methodological challenges
Thin overall pattern of results
No evidence of systematic or cumulative change
Repeated activities in the same contexts suggests a pattern of failure
Changes to the form of institutions, rather than capacity
Pockets of impact
WB: The more specific, monitorable and limited the task, the greater the prospect of success
Discrete institutional settings
Some evidence of cumulative impact through patient engagement

5. Critiques of TA practice
Supports the administration of aid
Capacity substitution
Lack of coordination
Implicit conditionalities
Supply-driven support
Per diem culture
Technical solutions to political challenges
Institutional templating

6. The new paradigm Many labels Common delivery models Shared principles
Doing Development Differently
Thinking and Working Politically
Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation
Shared principles
Start with problems that matter to local constituencies
Promote locally-led, context-specific solutions
Change as a stepwise, iterative process
Shift in the role of the TA provider from expert to facilitator
Common delivery models
The flexible TA facility
The arm’s-length intermediary
Investing in the knowledge sector

7. Does the new paradigm work?
Evidence on results
No easier to measure than traditional TA
A growing body of interesting case studies, but anecdotal and possibly oversold
We don’t know what can be replicated or scaled
Barriers to uptake
Dangers of lip service
Incentives, accountabilities and organisational culture
Pressure to spend
High risk
High management costs