NEWS |
last update 26th April 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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, The study can be downloaded below.
Authors:
Download PDF:
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Partners in Development: India and Switzerlandtzerlandd/p>
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.
|
|
||
|
|
|
Switzerland, part of the global village
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).
|
|
||
|
|
|||
){kind=link}