Making Aid Effective: An Anti-Corruption Agenda

While aid flows topped US$ 128 billion in 2010, they have not always been good at achieving results due to corruption and mismanagement that arise from low levels of transparency, accountability and integrity on the part of donor and partner countries.

http://www.transparency.org/publications/publications/policy_positions/pp6_making_aid_effective_16_nov_2011

Africa is pushing for more say in aid spending

Africa recently turned the tables by insisting that "aid effectiveness" should become "development effectiveness" and it looks like it has won the debate. This is not a matter of semantics. Africa insists Africa should lead in decisions about where, how and when aid should be applied. It also insists that "no country in the world has developed by targeting poverty", which has been the predominant tendency in foreign aid. Africa’s new confidence in the international arena also comes from new developments on the continent. First, there has been a substantial improvement in financial governance. Second, most commodity prices have risen a great deal on international markets, accounting for impressive growth. Third, there are new partners in China, India and Brazil, whose economies are thirsty for Africa’s resources.

The change in direction came in Tunis last year, when the African Development Bank (ADB), the African Union (AU) Commission and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad), supported by the United Nations Economic Commission of Africa (Uneca), called a conference to launch the African Platform for Development Effectiveness.
http://www.nepad.org/crosscuttingissues/news/2579/africa-pushing-more-say-aid-spending 

Australia’s strategic approach to aid in Africa 2011-2015

This report outlines the Australian Government’s proposed strategy for its aid program in Africa. It aims to help reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development in Africa by supporting progress against meeting the MDGs. Australia’s aid program is principally focused on three sectors—maternal and child health, water and sanitation, and agriculture and food security.The aid program will also continue to help to build African countries’ and institutions’ human resource capacity. Natural resource management, where Australia has particular expertise, is another area where help will be provided, to ensure the benefits of natural resources flow to improved development outcomes.

http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pdf/101224%20-%20Australias%20approach%20to%20aid%20in%20Africa%20-%20Dec%202010.pdf