This Working Paper served as the basis for discussion at the workshop organised by ODI in mid- November 2005 with collaborators from Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as representatives from the donor community and from Northern-based NGOs as part of its project on ‘Southern Voices for Change in the International Aid System’. The paper aims to provide an analysis of the forces shaping the structure and operations of the international aid system. It examines current (mostly Northern) perceptions of what is not working with the current aid architecture and how the system might be reformed. The paper contrasts this with Southern inputs and/or responses to this ongoing debate, paying particular attention to the views and proposals emanating from civil society organisations (CSOs) based in the South.