18 November 2014: Development aid from New Zealand is undergoing the first donor review by its recipients in the Pacific, in an effort to improve the effectiveness of development cooperation in the region. The review is part of the Forum Compact process, which was agreed among Pacific Island Countries in 2009 to encourage good practice in development and address aid fragmentation and lack of development progress, despite decades of assistance.

The Forum Compact, otherwise known as the Cairns Compact on Strengthening Development Coordination, is facilitated by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS). To date, 13 country-focused peer reviews have been conducted, covering recipient countries’ processes for development planning and budgeting, public financial management and aid management systems.

The 2012 Pacific Regional Aid Effectiveness Workshop (PRAEW) agreed that, in addition to country-focused peer reviews, further work should focus on how the approaches of development partners can be improved. Christelle Pratt, PIFS Acting Secretary-General, said peer reviews of development partners is “a logical next step” to complement the country peer reviews, given that the overall effectiveness of development efforts relies on the contributions of both the donor and the recipient country.

The peer review of New Zealand aid will result in a set of recommendations on how its development cooperation with Pacific island countries could be improved, as well as an implementation plan for these improvements. The review is being conducted from 17-29 November 2014. [PIFS Press Release] [Forum Compact Webpage]