Commitment to Development Index Consortium Meets

CGD hosted the first annual meeting of the Commitment to Development Index Consortium on Monday. The Commitment to Development Index, a project I’ve shepherded since its inception nearly four years ago, ranks 21 rich countries based on how much their policies help or hurt developing countries. We formed the Consortium this year to formalize our relationship with what has proved to be the CDI's most engaged audience, aid agency officials. They sometimes use the CDI to frame their own work on development policy or as a tool for making other parts of government care about development.Nine countries have joined the Consortium: Australia, Canada, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. All but Finland sent representatives (PDF) and we were also joined by representatives from the Japanese government, the World Bank, and the IMF. At the meeting, CGD sought advice on the design of the CDI, and on future directions for the project more generally. I thought the discussion was quite stimulating. Key points:

• There may be a problem with how the aid component treats aid to "fragile" states. It gives low weight to countries with poor governance, out of concerns about funding corrupt dictators, but what about aid designed to help the weakest states, such as for paying Afghan civil servants?
• It would be good to bring in more indicators of aid quality (as distinct from aid quantity). The CDI has some, but there could be more. To what extent are donors working from a common plan, for example, and aligning with recipient countries' priorities? Since CGD is small, it may best to piggyback on ongoing efforts under the "Paris Declaration" to define and measure this nebulous thing called aid quality.
• CGD should consider letting web site users construct “what if” scenarios. What if the United States doubled aid or Japan halved its rice tariffs?
• CGD should promote the CDI more outside the United States. It can partner with local groups in Brussels or Paris or London, say, arrange local events, and translate materials.