Towards a New Partnership: Assessment of Government Performance
1998
A. Mohiddin
Lome IV is approaching its natural conclusion. In cooperation of the EU with the ACP countries, the EU has decided to move away from what it calls a partnership dominated by a 'culture of entitlement' to a more practical, realistic and business-like partnership. In this new partnership, allocation of development assistance will be based on 'selectivity' rather than 'entitlements.' Although 'needs' will continue to serve as criteria for the allocation of development assistance, new, so-called 'merits' criteria will supplement and sometimes supplant needs. Assessment of government performance is a critical component of the new EU strategy for the allocation and management of development assistance. In this paper, an analytical framework for discussing the issue of government performance criteria from an African perspective is presented. A number of comments and observations on the necessary content and modalities for a mutually beneficial and acceptable partnership are also provided. The paper is divided into three parts. In part one, the wider context within which the ideas and necessity for a new partnership are discussed. An analysis of the new criteria for government performance is presented in part two. Finally, a number of reflections, observations and comments from an African perspective are provided in part three. [author]
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