What Works? Better Policies and Practices for a Better Pacific

Abstract

This policy brief summarizes promising good practices to more effectively deliver assistance in the Pacific developing member countries. There is now quite a widespread view in the Pacific that development policy and practice have not yielded adequately robust results. Governments, regional institutions such as the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, and development partners have been trying to find more effective ways to deliver assistance, including helping to strengthen policy and institutional settings. Recent country performance and institutional assessments undertaken by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank provide some very valuable insights. These assessments are based on a common questionnaire that in turn is based on international development experience and theory. Some "good practices" hold promise and ought to be considered by Pacific governments, regional institutions, and development partners assisting those governments. This policy brief summarizes the practices that appear to have worked. Each Pacific developing member country should apply these practices to their unique social, political, and economic situation. The practices also provide the basis for discussion and improved understanding of alternative - and hopefully better - policies.