Assessing trends in EC development policy: an independent review of the European Commission’s external aid reform process

Review of recent efforts to reform the European Commission's external assistance, both in terms of strategy (what is the added value of EC aid?) and management (how should the Commission organise itself?)Recommends six key areas for reform: refine the EC policy frameworkintroduce a radical new approach to programminguse complementarity as a strategic management toolensure that implementation is effectivereview control and evaluation methods improve the human resource baseObservations on the possible effectiveness of the reform process include:the reform is seen as an urgent and vital priority for the RELEX group. There is a momentum for effective changethe overall policy direction for the reform package seems quite logical and coherent while the choices on structures and related division of labour raise concerns implementation will be the real test case. Taking into account the complexity and fragility of the reform process, it may be useful to adopt a ‘rolling implementation’ approach, thus ensuring a close monitoring of progress achieved, problems encountered and remedial action to be takenseveral issues merit greater attention, namely the need to safeguard a ‘development perspective’ in the new structuresto reconcile the search for a new ‘management logic’ with effective policies, with participation of different actors and with quality of aid to ensure an effective role for evaluationto make effective progress in improving the human resource base probably the most realistic vision for the EC in the next years is to clearly and unambiguously develop its own ‘specificity’ as a global player and a donor while promoting management reforms that are consistent with this aim.