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Do PRSPs Empower Poor Countries And Disempower The World Bank, or is it the Other Way Round?

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  • Frances Stewart and Michael Wang

Abstract

Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) have been introduced by the World Bank and the IMF as a necessary aspect of securing HIPC debt relief and access to other funds. They are intended to increase national 'ownership' of programmes, through extensive participation. This paper assesses whether they actually do empower poor countries, by exploring the process and content of the PRSPs. It finds that as far as civil society is concerned, the PRSPs currently permit little significant contribution to programme design. Governments appear to take a bigger role, but are also heavily constrained, especially with respect to macro-policy. The fact that the content of PRSPs is very similar to previous adjustment packages suggest that little real change has occurred through this process. Moreover, some large IFI programmes are unaffected by the process. Hence PRSPs do not significantly empower poor countries. They may give the appearance of greater ownership, but so long as there is no significant underlying change, such a change in perceptions about ownership, which could make IFI designed programmes more effective and thereby empower them, is likely to be short lived

Suggested Citation

  • Frances Stewart and Michael Wang, "undated". "Do PRSPs Empower Poor Countries And Disempower The World Bank, or is it the Other Way Round?," QEH Working Papers qehwps108, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford.
    • Handle: RePEc:qeh:qehwps:qehwps108
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    File URL: http://workingpapers.qeh.ox.ac.uk/RePEc/qeh/qehwps/qehwps108.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Government of Bolivia & Gobierno de Bolivia, 2001. "Bolivia: Poverty Reduction Strategy," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 80367, Inter-American Development Bank.
    2. repec:idb:brikps:publication-detail,7101.html?id=68558 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. repec:bla:devpol:v:21:y:2003:i:2:p:217-234 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. John Hoddinott, 2002. "Participation and Poverty Reduction: An Analytical Framework and Overview of the Issues," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 11(1), pages 146-168, March.
    5. repec:bla:devpol:v:21:y:2003:i:2:p:235-252 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Shigeru Otsubo, 2002. "Working Paper 61 - Linking Africa to a Changing World," Working Paper Series 195, African Development Bank.
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    Cited by:

    1. Geske Dijkstra, 2015. "The New Aid Paradigm: A Case of Policy Incoherence," Journal of International Commerce, Economics and Policy (JICEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 6(02), pages 1-27.
    2. M. Morrison , Kevin & Singer, Matthew M., 2006. "The Challenges of “Deliberative Development”: Bolivia’s Experience with a National Dialogue," Documentos de trabajo 5/2006, Instituto de Investigaciones Socio-Económicas (IISEC), Universidad Católica Boliviana.
    3. Meg Elkins & Simon Feeny & David Prentice, 2015. "Do Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers reduce poverty and improve well-being?," Discussion Papers 15/02, University of Nottingham, School of Economics.
    4. Fahmida Khatun & Debapriya Bhattacharya & Mustafizur Rahman, 2013. "Revisiting the PRSP Experience in Bangladesh: Perspectives on Representation, Accountability and Inclusiveness," CPD Working Paper 105, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
    5. Mehedi Masud & Md. Rakib Hossain, 2021. "Interpreting lived experiences: The dilemmas of public sector leaders," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 41(4), pages 180-190, October.
    6. Bach, Maria & Morgan, Mary S., 2020. "Measuring difference? The United Nations’ shift from progress to poverty," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 101769, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Arnim Langer and Frances Stewart (QEH), "undated". "Macro Adjustment Policies and Horizontal Inequalities," QEH Working Papers qehwps158, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford.
    8. Jan Vandemoortele, 2004. "The MDGs and pro-poor polices: related but not synonymous," Working Papers 3, International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth.
    9. Solava Ibrahim & David Hulme, 2010. "Has civil society helped the poor? - A review of the roles and contributions of civil society to poverty reduction?," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 11410, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    10. Armine Ishkanian, 2006. "From inclusion to exclusion: armenian NGOs participation in the PRSP," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(5), pages 729-740.
    11. Sarah Hunt, 2015. "Breaking the rules, breaking the game: external ideas, politics and inclusive development in Honduras," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-052-15, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    12. Arjan de Haan & Ward Warmerdam, 2012. "The politics of aid revisited: a review of evidence on state capacity and elite commitment," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-007-12, GDI, The University of Manchester.

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