Over five decades of economic and technical assistance to the countries of Africa and the Middle East have failed to improve the life prospects for over 1.4 billion people who remain vulnerable. Billions of dollars have been spent on such assistance and yet little progress has been made....

The complexities and uncertainties of development -- The domestic context -- History and the legacy of colonialism -- Big men, personal rule, and patronage politics -- Violent conflict and civil war -- Political change and democratization -- Core development questions -- Africa's growth puzzle...

This paper contributes to the debate on aid effectiveness by looking at the 'how' of aid effectiveness. In other words it provides an assessment of whether aid only filled a financing gap or whether it, in addition, helped influence the political economy in a way that engendered growth. Ghana...