Right on track or missing the mark?

This final report attempts to capture the main achievements and pending tasks of Spanish development cooperation.
It aims to make them accessible for public debate.

This report has one overriding ambition to foster debate by making public policies as transparent as possible. This final document attempts to summarize some of the main findings from the discussion process. It does not necessarily contribute new analyses. Such have already been prepared for a number of sectors or policy areas by other academic, public, and non-governmental representatives. Instead, this paper – together with the website – aims to describe the main changes, principal achievements, and pending tasks within Spanish Development cooperation, in a global context. We want to make such information easily accessible for a wider audience. We have, for that reason, tried to quote as many reports as possible and provide links to them on the website.

Intro: Spain has declared development policy as part of its long-term, soft power approach towards international relations.

Setting the context: An international framework for the global governance of development cooperation has emerged. Spain has signed up to the commitments.

Development financing: Spain has increased its funding significantly and redirected spending towards multilaterals and social sectors.

Analytical capacities: A policy division has been created within the Ministry of Cooperation. More emphasis is being put on evaluation and research. Outcomes are awaited.

Planning: A comprehensive set of planning tools has been developed. Greater transparency in goals has been achieved, and should be followed by improving delivery structures and evaluation practices.

Domestic actors Relations with civil society have improved significantly. A more open style of consultation would increase the quality of public debate.

Coherence: Coherence in development is on the agenda, and more information is available. However, leverage of development concerns in general government policy needs better institutional anchorage.

Multilateralism: Funding to multilaterals is increasing sharply. A more strategic approach towards engaging with multilaterals is needed.

Debt: Debt management has been exposed to developmental criteria. A comprehensive reform of Development Credits (FAD) is still outstanding.

Humanitarian Aid: Although funding has increased, institutional structure awaits reform. No comprehensive strategy aimed at achieving better quality in humanitarian action has been presented. A clearer separation between humanitarian and political objectives and players is required.

Immigration: Spain has taken on a leadership role in linking migration with development, called ‘co-desarrollo’. But the urge to control migration flows still threatens to put pressure on development cooperation.

Institutional Reform: Having focused mainly on drafting plans, the burning issue – reform of the delivery structure, most notably the agency – has been delayed.

Division of labour: Aid effectiveness has to go beyond harmonization. Individual donors have to focus on what they do best, and do more by concentrating their activities. Europe has to act as one by dividing its labour.

Looking forward: The shift from aid to development, from a model of funding projects towards a model of engaging with local efforts to deepen rights, build institution and promote economic growth in developing countries, remains unfinished in Spanish government and civil society.

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