[afro-nets] RFI: The Millennium Challenge Account (4)

[Peter Burgess <Profitinafrica@aol.com>]

RFI: The Millennium Challenge Account (4)
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Dear Colleagues

The almost complete disconnect between what "leadership" says
and what is actually done is obscene. It is one of the unsavoury
characteristics of modern democracy and a media driven society
where personal choices are moulded by Madison Avenue type inter-
ventions.

I can understand projections that don't work out. However, I
have no sympathy for a situation where there is virtually no ac-
counting for what has actually happened. The information that
Dr. John Ssemakula is looking for should be a "click" away and
easy to understand and easy to analyze. Of course it is not.
"Phantom Aid" is now the dominant form of development assis-
tance... and we would really not want the world to know too much
about this. Privatization of some priority needs for development
success is cruel... and devastating. Bottom line, real account-
ing about development performance would be an uncomfortable wake
up call.

Our group is slowly getting organized to put metrics in place
that will measure "development performance" at the community
level... which is where people are to be found. Unless I am mis-
taken, development is meant to be about people, and unless the
metrics include people and their communities, development will
continue to be an exercise that swirls around the official re-
lief and development assistance (ORDA) organizations and the in-
ner circle of consultants, academics and researchers... and
"south" decision makers... without ever getting any where near
the needy beneficiaries.

Accountants (I am one) like to measure what actual happened
relative to what was planned. I do this without thinking about
it. When I get to PEPFAR, the Millennium Challenge Account and
almost everything to do with international development assis-
tance, my knee jerk reaction is that we are very near an im-
peachment status for the leadership or the ORDA world.

It is not just the USA. The hypocrisy of leadership throughout
the "north" is huge... not only in the political sphere but also
the corporate world. How can we explain the poverty of Africa's
people when the natural resources are so enormous? Dr. William
Easterly in his book 'The Elusive Quest for Growth' asks "Where
did all the education go?" with graphs showing how little Africa
has benefited from education investment compared to Asia... but
does not point out (unless I missed it) that there has been vir-
tually no investment in production in Africa... except for for-
eign direct investment in industries (like the oil industry, and
the minerals industry) where the companies know how to remove
wealth from host countries.

Sadly... management information for the development space is
very much missing... and this needs to change as soon as possi-
ble, Since the ORDA world will not do it... it is going to have
to be done by a community of private people and organizations
who are interested in the subject and know something about how
it can be done. I anyone wants to help please do not hesitate to
get in touch with me or others in the Tr-Ac-Net community.

With best wishes

Peter Burgess
Tr-Ac-Net in New York
Tel.: +1-212-772-6918
mailto:peterbnyc@gmail.com
The Transparency and Accountability Network
With Kris Dev in Chennai India
and others in South Asia, Africa and Latin America
http://tr-ac-net.blogspot.com