Beyond the Tyranny of Averages: Development Progress from the Bottom Up
Relying on averages is worsening inequality within countries. A new AidData report looks at whether aid financing reaches the poorest regions and finds that donors are missing the mark…policymakers often fall into the trap of evaluating progress from the top-down, rather than the bottom-up. Bilateral aid agencies and multilateral development banks tend to use national-level indicators (e.g., GDP per capita, child mortality rates) to select the countries and sectors where they will work. These national aggregates mask hotspots of deprivation within countries (e.g., provinces, districts, municipalities), which appear to be widening.
It is easier than ever before to pinpoint where the poor live and whether their lives are improving. But geographically precise data has limited utility if decision-makers do not use it to prioritize assistance to reach the poorest communities. [The] new AidData report — Beyond the Tyranny of Averages: Development Progress from the Bottom Up — examines whether governments and development partners target their aid to the most marginalized regions within countries and with what results.
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