The World Bank in the post-structural adjustment era

This chapter describes basic patterns in aid allocation, with an emphasis on the differences between Development Assistance Committee (DAC) and non-DAC donors. The increasing importance of non-DAC donors comes at a critical time for the DAC and the global governance of development. Taking stock of the differences between DAC and non-DAC bilateral aid is important because many observers have suggested that non-DAC donor aid may actually undermine development objectives. The debate about whether non-DAC donors undermine DAC efforts speaks to the 'paradigms' dimension outlined in the framework in that each set of donors may have different priorities that may be more or less beneficial to recipient countries. The chapter identifies factors that may differentiate DAC and non-DAC donors and discusses how development paradigms may or may not be changing. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how examining non-DAC donors may shed light on development policy questions, as well as highlighting yet unanswered scholarly questions in need of further engagement.