Chautari Book Series 64
Looking at Development and Donors is a collection of essays written by Dr Devendra Raj Panday over a span of almost 27 years on the topic of development, foreign aid and donors. Despite, or perhaps because of, the many avatars that the author has taken over this period – Nepal’s head of the foreign aid division and finance secretary in the 1970s, finance minister in the first post-1990 interim democratic government, development specialist and a leading figure in civil society today – the essays display a remarkable consistency. His writings offer penetrating critiques of changes in the development world and their effects on Nepal, Nepali elites, development, democracy, civil society and notions of what is political. The cumulative critique of development and foreign aid in this volume emphasizes the importance of thinking anew the basic questions of why Nepal has not developed and the complex historical and current intended and unintended
consequences of foreign aid.
Devendra Raj Panday, PhD, is a former finance secretary and finance minister of Nepal. He is best known for his civic and scholarly work in support of democracy, inclusive development and transparent governance. He is a leader of the loose network, Citizens’ Movement for Democracy and Peace, which spearheaded the Jana Andolan II during 2005–06. He has authored many articles and books including the popular Nepal’s Failed Development: Reflections on the Mission and the Maladies (2009[1999]).
Contents
The Year 2000 and Beyond
- Acknowledgements - viii
- Introduction: The Imperative of Learning from the Past - 1
Seira Tamang
- Chapter 1
Past, Present and Future of Development and Aid in Nepal - 7
- Panchayat Period
- Chapter 2
Economic Performance in South Asia: Why is Nepal an Exception? - 61
- Chapter 3
Foreign Aid in Nepal’s Development: An Overview - 67
- Chapter 4
Management for Economic Development in Nepal: Some Institutional Issues - 98
- 1990 Democratic Era
- Chapter 5
Nepal’s Development Efforts: Problems and Prospects - 116
- Chapter 6
Development NGOs at the Grassroots - 131
- Chapter 7
The Enigma of Aid - 140
- Chapter 8
Statement by Devendra Raj Panday, Minister of Finance, Nepal to the Second United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries - 146
- Chapter 9
Poverty and Growth: Back to the Basics - 155
- Chapter 10
Social Democracy in the Emerging Global Order: Problems and Prospects for Nepal - 161
- Chapter 11
In the Name of Development - 191
- Chapter 12
Matching Democracy and Development Policymaking in an Aid-Dependent Country: An Illustration from Nepal - 205
- Chapter 13
Foreign Aid and Liberalization: External Response to an Internal Memo - 217
- Chapter 14
Can Aid Conditionality Help Governance Reform in Needy Countries? - 229
- Chapter 15
Enabling Civil Society to Combat Corruption in Nepal and South Asia: Some Thoughts on the Role of Donors - 240
- Chapter 16
Transparency in Development Aid: Towards a Mutual Accountability System? - 262
- Chapter 17
Technical Cooperation and Institutional Capacity-Building for Development: Back to the Basics - 277
- Chapter 18
Democracy and Human Development: A Review in Nepali Perspective - 309
- Chapter 19
Development Partnership for Greater Aid Effectiveness - 324
- Chapter 20
Role of Donors, Political Leadership and Civil Society in Governance: Some Experience and Insights from Nepal - 347
- Chapter 21
Democracy, Donors and Diplomats - 361
- Chapter 22
Social Movement, Civil Society and Regime Change in Nepal - 365
- Chapter 23
Role of the Civil Society and International Cooperation in the Peace Process in Nepal - 382
- Chapter 24
Lessons on Aid Effectiveness - 407
- References - 412
