Reavis is an American with two decades of experience working in Europe; she has worked in senior positions and held Managing Directorships for large concerns including the UN and a financial institution.

In today’s global world, multiple dimensions of culture affect performance; these include country, company, professional and age cultures.

The most obvious reason for a misunderstanding with a colleague or business contact from another country is that the cultural norms in his/her country are different from those in one’s own. However, this is merely the tip of the iceberg. In fact, culture manifests itself in very different ways. Company culture has almost as much…

Why are there no personal consequences in Development Cooperation? It is time to re-examine the incentives within aid organisations!

 Anyone who has been involved in development can rattle off a list of failed projects or initiatives which not only didn’t meet the needs they were intended to address but actually had seriously damaging unintended consequences. While a few mistakes are inevitable and one should look at the whole picture, it is important to examine…

Donor Coordination 2: One solution lies in simplicity

In the previous blog, the main challenges to effective donor coordination were discussed. With the growth in numbers and complexity of the donors, getting a handle on coordination will require more targeted efforts and difficult decisions on the part of donors and their partner countries. For the beginnings of a solution, let’s look at what…

The „Bonn Call to Action (“Bonner Aufruf”)

In the beginning of September a group of experts, politicians, journalists, former Ambassadors and others with long experience in the “development scene” published the “Bonner Aufruf” or Bonn Call to Action for a new and different development policy. This document has kicked up a major storm in German development circles. The German Development Ministry immediately…

Donor coordination 1: the challenges

 If one assumes that donors are above all committed to poverty reduction and improving the lives of the populations in their target countries, it would seem logical to think that they would have a strong interest in closely coordinating their activities, in the aim of increased efficiency and impact. However, in spite of significant efforts,…