Harriet Harman launches Labour's Development Review

[Jeneral2885]

http://www.labour.org.uk/labour-launches-international-development-policy-review

May I encourage her to read:

http://ipeanddevelopment.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/0-7-0-07-7-the-lure-and-wonder-over-how-much-aid-countries-should-give/

and give her these points for sugestion:

1) DO NOT just focus on 0.7 as I've said.

2) I recommend that you (Harman or your whole team) follow suit what Mitchell did--visit leading development institutes to get ideas. Mitchell's results-based and Cash-On-Delivery approach stems from his time at the Center for Global Development, a rather neoliberal think tank. But Mitchell also spoke at the Overseas Development Institute in London. Harman and her team shoulld start by going there.

3) Get a favourite economist. From what I gather, Mitchell's favourite economist is Paul Collier and therefore the fixation on sending aid to conflict affected countries. (I don't know much about Collier to criticise him). So get a favourite economist.

4) Extensively visit developing countries.

5) Most importantly, get an alternative development-centred policy. For example, if (as Harman noted) aid recipients were cut out of the BAR, what is your alternative BAR and MAR? What willl you propose instead of Cash-On-Delivery? If you don't want aid to go to conflict-zones (when you were guilty of it), then what would you do?