IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/rdevec/v10y2006i2p313-329.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Evaluation Bias and Incentive Structures in Bi‐ and Multilateral Aid Agencies

Author

Listed:
  • Katharina Michaelowa
  • Axel Borrmann

Abstract

Evaluation is generally considered as an important tool to ensure the effective use of development aid, but it is itself subject to distortions. To derive institutional conditions conducive to effective evaluation, we develop a multi‐level principal‐agent model focusing on the interests of the different actors involved in the evaluation process. The model highlights two central problems: (i) the aid agencies’ conflicting objectives of transparency and self‐legitimization, and (ii) the potential collusion between the evaluator and the project manager. Evidence for the World Bank and different German donor agencies reveals concrete institutional requirements for a reduced evaluation bias and increased transparency.

Suggested Citation

  • Katharina Michaelowa & Axel Borrmann, 2006. "Evaluation Bias and Incentive Structures in Bi‐ and Multilateral Aid Agencies," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 10(2), pages 313-329, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:rdevec:v:10:y:2006:i:2:p:313-329
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9361.2006.00320.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9361.2006.00320.x
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1467-9361.2006.00320.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vaubel, Roland, 2003. "Principal-Agent-Probleme in internationalen Organisationen," HWWA Discussion Papers 219, Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWA).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Lena Gutheil & Dirk-Jan Koch, 2024. "Aid Unchained: Examining Development Project Management Practices at Aid Chain Interfaces," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 24(2), pages 97-112, April.
    2. Faust, Jörg, 2008. "Are More Democratic Donor Countries More Development Oriented? Domestic Institutions and External Development Promotion in OECD Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 383-398, March.
    3. David A. Bell, 2017. "Evaluation Influence: The Evaluation Event and Capital Flow in International Development," Evaluation Review, , vol. 41(6), pages 568-592, December.
    4. Osman S Kiratli, 2019. "Aiding together? Europeans’ attitudes on common aid policy," European Union Politics, , vol. 20(2), pages 261-281, June.
    5. Michaelowa, Axel & Michaelowa, Katharina, 2011. "Coding Error or Statistical Embellishment? The Political Economy of Reporting Climate Aid," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(11), pages 2010-2020.
    6. Christopher Kilby & Katharina Michaelowa, 2019. "What Influences World Bank Project Evaluations?," Springer Books, in: Nabamita Dutta & Claudia R. Williamson (ed.), Lessons on Foreign Aid and Economic Development, chapter 0, pages 109-150, Springer.
    7. Bruno Frey, 2008. "Outside and inside competition for international organizations—from analysis to innovations," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 3(4), pages 335-350, December.
    8. Burger, Ronelle & Owens, Trudy, 2010. "Promoting Transparency in the NGO Sector: Examining the Availability and Reliability of Self-Reported Data," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(9), pages 1263-1277, September.
    9. Elena V McLean, 2015. "A strategic theory of international environmental assistance," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 27(2), pages 324-347, April.
    10. Jabeen, Sumera, 2016. "Do we really care about unintended outcomes? An analysis of evaluation theory and practice," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 144-154.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Michaelowa, Katharina & Borrmann, Axel, 2004. "What Determines Evaluation Outcomes? Evidence from Bi- and Multilateral Development Cooperation," HWWA Discussion Papers 310, Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWA).
    2. Blankart Charles B, 2008. "Wege zu mehr Steuerehrlichkeit / Towards a Better Tax Compliance," ORDO. Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, De Gruyter, vol. 59(1), pages 63-90, January.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:rdevec:v:10:y:2006:i:2:p:313-329. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=1363-6669 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.