OECD Development Co-operation Peer Reviews: Austria 2020

Annex A. Progress since the 2015 DAC peer review recommendations

Towards a comprehensive Austrian development effort

 

Recommendations 2015	Progress
Austria should develop a clear approach to addressing policy incoherence, prioritising selected topics and mechanisms and including means of monitoring and reporting across government, while drawing on the expertise and analytical capacity existing in the country.	Not implemented
To ensure development effectiveness, Austria needs to set out clear developmental objectives and expected results of using ODA as a catalyst to leverage private investment.	Partially implemented

Vision and policies for development co-operation

 

Recommendations 2015	Progress
Austria should bring all aid-spending ministries in line with, and make them accountable for, achieving the objectives of the three-year programmes.	Partially implemented
Having a clear rationale for allocating resources geographically, by channel and by instrument, would increase the predictability of Austrian aid.	Partially implemented
Austria is encouraged to clarify its priorities for mainstreaming cross-cutting themes, and to ensure that it has the tools and resources to follow through on these priorities.	Partially implemented

Aid volume and allocation

 

Recommendations 2015	Progress
Austria should deliver on its commitment to develop a realistic time-bound roadmap to increase ODA in order to make progress towards meeting the 0.7% ODA/GNI target	Partially implemented
Austria should include debt relief in its ODA forecasts only after this is agreed by the Paris Club.	Not implemented
Austria should reverse the decline in the share of its ODA allocated to the LDCs, in keeping with its commitment to poverty reduction.	Partially implemented

Organisation and management

 

Recommendations 2015	Progress
Austria should ensure that, when involved in the same priority countries, the federal ministries, ADA and the Austrian Development Bank agree on a set of common development objectives, elaborate joint country strategies, and report on a single set of country results.	Partially implemented
Austria needs to develop a staff development strategy to ensure that it has the competence and expertise to engage in and deliver quality aid in its priority partner countries.	Partially implemented

Development co-operation delivery and partnerships

 

Recommendations 2015	Progress
Austria is encouraged to introduce a more comprehensive and systematic approach to risk management in its development co-operation programme, including at partner country level.	Partially implemented
Austria should reverse the decline in the share of its aid that is untied, bearing in mind the Accra and Busan commitments.	Partially implemented
Austria should engage more strategically with civil society in the countries where it works, based on clear guidelines.	Implemented
Austria should consistently apply a fragility lens to programming in fragile states.	Implemented

Results and accountability

 

Recommendations 2015	Progress
Austria is encouraged to develop a consistent and coherent approach to development results as well as a system to inform programming decisions and serve accountability needs.	Partially implemented
Setting up an evaluation committee under an independent oversight body would contribute to increasing commitment at all levels to follow up on recommendations from evaluations.	Partially implemented
Having a more strategic approach to communicating about development results and risks, and increasing transparency on how ADC is working, would contribute to promoting a culture that is more open to public information.	Partially implemented

Humanitarian assistance

 

Recommendations 2015	Progress
Austria should reflect on its humanitarian achievements, and develop a strategic focus and allocation criteria for its humanitarian programme, in order to increase predictability, facilitate performance monitoring, and to raise its profile on the international stage.	Partially implemented
Commitments to scale up the humanitarian budget should be kept, so that Austria can match its strategic ambitions with adequate resources.	Implemented

Figure A.1. Austria’s implementation of 2015 peer review recommendations