NEWS

last update 26th April 2010
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Lessons Learned on how to Promote Innovation in Development Cooperation
 

How do non-governmental, bilateral and multilateral aid agencies promote innovation in development cooperation?

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has mandated a team in 2009/10 to undertake a corporate-level evaluation of IFAD’s capacity and experience in the promotion of replicable innovations.

In this context, Gerster Consulting has been asked to identify benchmarks in terms of good practices of how other comparable organisations promote innovation in development cooperation. The innovative policies and practices of the Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation (HIVOS) in the Netherlands, of Irish Aid, of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Canada, of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and of the World Bank have been reviewed. In particular, the research approach covered

(1) the understanding of innovation,
(2) the strategic orientation,
(3) process and implementation issues,
(4) the institutional dimension,
(5) partnerships,
(6) scaling up and replication, and
(7) risks and mitigation.

The study can be downloaded below.

 
Output:
Main report + annex 1-3: 44 pp
Annex 4-8: 65 pp

 

Authors:
Richard Gerster & Sonja Beeli

 

Download PDF:
PDF IFAD main + Annex 1-3
PDF IFAD annex 4-8

 

India Glass Industry

 Innovation in glass manufacturing saves energy and reduces CO2 emissions (India)

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Vertical of the month

A spoon of rice makes the difference
     
A spoon of rice makes the difference (Madagascar)
     
  The verticals gallery presents a special focus on people, their daily struggle for survival, and globalisation. The narrow vertical perspective allows us to focus on the really essential messages  
 
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Budget Support in Practice Series
 

A country’s government budget is ultimately the construction site where it is decided whether public authorities really act at the service of the population, how they fight abuse and how they render accountability with respect to their performance. The development partners, often among them the African Development Bank, Denmark, EC, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the World Bank jointly support the partner government in its fight against poverty by providing direct contributions to the state’s budget. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Switzerland, asked Gerster Consulting to take a closer and practical look at budget support from various points of view.

On that background a series of field reports and interviews were written to cover experiences made in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Nicaragua and Tanzania. They aim at illuminating chances and risks, possibilities and limitations of budget support in a practical manner with a focus on Switzerland’s experiences. They reflect the author’s personal opinion.

The essays can be downloaded below in three languages English, French, German or accessed at the website www.budget-support.ch.

 

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Outputs:
32 articles, 8 interviews (all reports are listed below)

 

Authors:
Richard Gerster & Franziska Pfister (Nicaragua)

   
   

(1) Benin

Benin: Boy

Education is a priority but much remains to be done (Benin)

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Interviews:

 

   
   

(2) Burkina Faso
 

Burkina Faso: Rural Development

Rural development is aprecondition to reduce migration (Burkina Faso)

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Interviews:

 

   
 

(3) Ghana
 

Ghana: Parliament

The government is accountable to parliament (Ghana)

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Interviews:

 

   
 

(4) Mali
 

Mali: Medical consultation

Medical services are crucial for local development (Mali)

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(5) Mozambique
 

Mozambique: Women

Gender relations often are a challenge (Mozambique)

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(6) Nicaragua
 

Nicaragua: Jeans Shop

Shops are a source of income (Nicaragua)

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Interview:

   
 

(7) Tanzania
 

Tanzania: Newspaper vendor

Independent media are an asset (Tanzania)

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Interviews:

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Partners in Development: India and Switzerlandtzerlandd/p>


The new book “Partners in Development: India and Switzerland” by Richard Gerster is not an evaluation but an independent review of experience of cooperation programmes supported by Switzerland (Government & NGOs) during the past 50 years.

It aims at answering questions such as „What characterises Swiss development cooperation in India?“, „What has been achieved?“ and „What are the lessons learned?“ The book is based on some 250 interviews with Indian partners, former and current Swiss employees, independent observers in both countries as well as on numerous documents and publications.

In spite of its small size Switzerland managed to become known as an influential niche player in India. Swiss contributions in areas such as animal husbandry or dairy farming, disaster prevention, rural housing, drinking water, microfinance or infrastructure financing have had an impact not only at the local level, but also at the state level – they even influenced national policies for 1,1 billion people. Experiences from development cooperation in India had reciprocal influences on Swiss programmes in other countries.

Overall, both the Government and NGOs have reached much more than could realistically be expected. These successes are those of the Indian partners.

Forewords by Micheline Calmy-Rey, Swiss Minister for Foreign Affairs, and M.S. Swaminathan, M.P. and President M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation.

This timely publication is highly relevant for the forthcoming decisions by the Swiss Parliament to shape the future contribution of Switzerland to development cooperation. 

 

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Output:
(1)  in English by Social Science Press, Delhi in cooperation with Berghahn Books, Oxford/New York, entitled “Partners in Development. India and Switzerland”, USD 75, 154 pp, (Link)

(2)  In French by Editions Favre, Lausanne, ”La coopération entre la Suisse et l’Inde. Au dela des clichés de la pauvreté et du miracle économique”, CHF 33, 192 pp, (Link

(3) in German by Orell Füssli Verlag, Zurich, entitled „Swissness made in India. Wirtschaftliche Entwicklung und die Zusammenarbeit Schweiz – Indien“, CHF 34.80, 156 pp, (Link)
 
Author:
Richard Gerster

swissness Made in India   
 
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Switzerland, part of the global village


How does the quality of life compare in India’s Kerala, California in the US and the Swiss Kanton of Zurich? How is globalisation driving Switzerland's prosperity? How does the trend towards a multicultural society affect Swiss classrooms?

The world influences Switzerland, and vice versa. A brochure just published by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) highlights Switzerland's strengths and weaknesses in the context of North-South relations. 20 attractive graphs illustrate facts and comparisons in the fields of politics, economics, society and cooperation.

The SDC commissioned Richard Gerster to prepare the brochure, which is available in German, French and Italian. The publication can be downloaded on the right or at the SDC’s website, where hard copies can be ordered also, free of charge (again in German, French, Italian, but not in English).

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Output:
50 pp.

Author:
Richard Gerster

Download PDFs:
CH & Welt (German)
CH & monde (French)
CH & mondo (Italian)
  Globalisation - Switzerland for sale?
Globalisation: „la Suisse à vendre“ – Switzerland for sale?
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