The children of the world should be protected by the new Millennium Development Goals

Of: Anna Hägg-Sjöquist, Carolina Ehrnrooth, Elizabeth Stahlenius, Roland Håkansson and Véronique Lönnerblad

During the current ministerial meeting in New York, Sweden should demand that children's protection against violence and abuse be included in the new goals that will replace the millennium goals after 2015, write representatives of five Swedish children's rights organizations.

October 4, 2013, Debate

Program-related evaluations provide insight and opportunities for learning

Of: Anna Liljelund Hedqvist, Ian Christoplos and Jessica Rothman

Evaluations should focus on what works, why and what lessons can be learned from it, instead of just checking what Swedish development assistance achieves. When evaluations have not been used for more than listing results, opportunities for learning are lost. It writes three employees to Indevelop, who in a new report has compiled lessons from 71 evaluations that the organization has conducted over the past two years.

August 30, 2013, Debate

The arbitrary attacks of DN and SVD are poorly substantiated

Of: Kajsa Johansson

Two lead writers have taken the lead in the development aid debate recently. DN's Carl Johan Von Seth asked the question whether the government and the opposition really want to know what development aid leads to and Minister for Development Aid Gunilla Carlsson's turn in the question of the one percent target was criticized by SVD's Siri Steijer. Kajsa Johansson is now replying to the Swedish Afghanistan Committee with two counter-questions: Why would we not want to know what the aid leads to and are there occasions when SVD's employees are also prepared to change their minds?

August 23, 2013, Debate

Should we care about the effects of development aid?

Of: Göran Hyden

The importance of the evaluations that lead writer Carl Von Seth calls for more of has been exaggerated in Sweden and other donor countries in recent years. It is not possible to circle all the factors that determine the effects of development assistance, writes Professor Göran Hydén in a reply.

August 21, 2013, Debate

Profit reporting in development assistance risks counteracting lasting effects

Of: Per Karlsson

The Government's focus on results risks leading to the aid organizations' legitimacy being assessed only on the basis of their ability to achieve short-term and easily measurable results rather than the ability to give the recipients influence and thereby contribute to long-term results. In addition, it leads to increased administrative costs, something that Minister for Development Aid Gunilla Carlsson (M) herself has criticized. It writes Per Karlsson, a recent graduate student at the University of Gothenburg.

August 19, 2013, Debate

Long-term development results require institutions

Of: Karin Metell Cueva

The broad consensus behind the Post15 panel's conclusions that well-functioning institutions really produce results for poor people is in a way treacherous. Now we who work with development assistance should seriously ask the question of what can be done better to support domestic institutions for good and effective governance, writes SIPU consultant Karin Metell Cueva

June 24, 2013, Debate

Ten differences between the Social Democrats' and the government's aid policy

Of: Kenneth G Forslund

While Minister for Development Aid Gunilla Carlsson (M) is preparing for the abolition of development aid policy, the Social Democrats want to pursue an active development policy that goes beyond the goal of absolute poverty reduction. This is one of ten differences between the Social Democrats' and the government's policy, according to the party's development policy spokesman Kenneth G Forslund.

June 20, 2013, Debate

Quality on wrong roads

Of: Class Palm

Quality is based on participation, trust and variation - not control systems and detailed reporting. To cope with Post-2015, development assistance must be reformed and adapted to ever-changing challenges. Evaluations of the evaluations may not be the best way forward in this work, says Klas Palm, consultant and researcher at Mid Sweden University

May 24, 2013, Debate

How can the negative consequences of the performance agenda be avoided?

Of: Anna Liljelund Hedqvist, Ian Christoplos, Janet Vähämäki, Jessica Rothman and Theresa Brolin

Focus on results in international development cooperation does not necessarily mean better results. On the contrary, it can be counterproductive. We who work with the issues are obliged to inform decision-makers about this. That is the opinion of Janet Vähämäki, Anna Liljelund Hedqvist, Jessica Rothman, Ian Christoplos and Therese Brolin

May 21, 2013, Debate

What will happen to the Nordic Africa Institute?

Of: Carin Norberg

The State Treasury proposes to close down and organize parts of the Nordic Africa Institute's activities under one university without first analyzing the institute's unique combination of research, investigation, communication and documentation. If the business is incorporated into a university, it will eventually cease, writes Carin Norberg, former director general of NAI

May 16, 2013, Debate

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