New Markets for Local Experts in Africa?

Abstract

In the past decades the involvement of local experts in the planning and evaluation of development programs has steadily increased. Ownership of development planning is propagated as major aim of bilateral and international development co-operation. Yet, the quality and performance of many local experts is still open to question, last but not least, because they share the same technocratic bias as quite a number of their Western counterparts, notably concerning pro-poor development policies, empowerment and ill-adapted technology transfer. An unreserved replacement of expatriates by local experts, or the substitution of technical assistance by unconditioned budget aid would be counter-productive with respect to poverty-oriented development policies.

Keywords: consultancy, aid, technical cooperation, capacity building, Africa, indigenous knowledge

JEL Classification: F35, H52, H75, I21, D83, N37, N87, Z13