Development Aid from the Donor’s Point of View: An Institutional Analysis of British Aid to Statistics

(Purpose) Despite recent attentions and increases in statistical aid at the international level, not much research has been done on the aid system and behavior of the individual donor countries in this field.. This study analyzed the effectiveness of aid in the statistical field and the role of the institutional arrangement of the aid system from the perspective of the donor country, particularly focused on the British case. (Design/methodology/approach) We used the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework to analyze donor’s patterns and behaviors in providing statistical aid and to identify incentive structures and its concerned institutional problems, which can determine the outcomes of the aid programs. (Findings) The analysis found that despite its internal motivations and informational problems the British case shows quite desirable institutional settings by having a mutual evaluation system among the actors and the presence of in-donor country statisticians in the field. The donor staffs also try to share the lessons learned from the individual cases. By doing so, the UK government tries to minimize the negative situation where the actors pursue their own interests and to ensure the sustainability of development programs. (Research implications or Originality) The British case shows that the institutional arrangement, which involves more attention to recipient ownership, could generate more desirable outcomes, as asserted by neo-institutional scholars. This implies that the donor’s aid system in the statistical field needs to be improved in a way that secure ownership and bring sustainability of aid impact.