Foreign aid and international development frequently bring with it a range of unintended consequences, both negative and positive. This episode of the IDS Between the Lines podcast delves into these consequences, providing a fresh and comprehensive guide to understanding and addressing them.
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In the podcast, IDS Director of Research Peter Taylor, interviews Dirk-Jan Koch Chief Science Officer of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and author of the book: Foreign Aid and Its Unintended Consequences. They discuss what side effects to anticipate when planning, executing, and evaluating aid.
This podcast is an important listen for students new to development and particularly for development practitioners and policymakers alike as they embark on future aid strategies that are meant to benefit in-country recipients.
About the interviewee
Dirk-Jan Koch is Chief Science Officer of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is Special Professor of International Trade & Development Cooperation at Radboud University, the Netherlands.
About the interviewer
Peter Taylor is Director of Research at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). Previously he was Director, Strategic Development, at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada where he was responsible for leading IDRC’s strategic planning processes.
About the book
Foreign Aid and Its Unintended Consequences frequently bring with it a range of unintended consequences, both negative and positive. This book delves into these consequences, providing a fresh and comprehensive guide to understanding and addressing them.
The book starts by laying out a theoretical framework based on complexity thinking, before going on to explore the ten most prevalent kinds of unintended effects of foreign aid: backlash effects, conflict effects, migration and resettlement effects, price effects, marginalization effects, behavioural effects, negative spillover effects, governance effects, environmental effects, and ripple effects. Each chapter revolves around a set of concrete case studies, analysing the mechanisms underpinning the unintended effects and proposing ways in which policymakers, practitioners, and evaluators can tackle negative side effects and maximize positive side effects. The book also includes personal testimonies, a succinct overview of unintended effects, and suggestions for further reading.
Providing a clear overview of what side effects to anticipate when planning, executing, and evaluating aid, this book will be an important resource for students, development practitioners, and policymakers alike.
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