Moving away from aid: lessons from country studies

Research reports and studies

December 2019

A raised highway with cycle rickshaw in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: Laurent Weyl/Panos Pictures

This report synthesises the experiences of four countries – Botswana, Chile, Mexico and the Republic of Korea – in the transition from aid and graduation from official development assistance (ODA). It presents research on the management of the transition from aid, cooperation with deveopment partners when aid falls and bi- and multilateral cooperation as countries approach ODA graduation.

The findings presented in this report are informed by a combination of data analysis, a literature review of the main academic and policy documents and semi-structured interviews. A set of lessons, informed by the country studies, are outlined that are intended to be useful for other countries entering or progressing along the path towards ODA graduation, as well as for development partners to sustain outcomes and renew partnerships.

This report forms part of a larger project that sets out to investigate country experiences of and key lessons from the transition and graduation from ODA. The project includes four dedicated country studies, the findings of which inform this report: Botswana, Mexico, Chile and the Republic of Korea.

Read the research