How Feedback Loops Can Improve Aid (and Maybe Governance)

This paper, written by Dennis Whittle for the Center for Global Development, outlines a set of principles that can be used to support the development of feedback loops for international development programs. It also outlines a number of cases where feedback loops had been created by development organisations that used some or all of the principles outlined in the paper. 

Excerpt

"Our review suggests that asking the following questions during the design stage is likely to increase the chance that the feedback loop will actually result in better outcomes:

  1. What information is the feedback loop soliciting?
  2. Who is most qualified to provide that information?
  3. What incentives do those people have to provide the information? What are the costs and benefits that they perceive?
  4. How will people provide the information? In person? Using certain technologies? Will the information be confidential or public?
  5. Who are the intended recipients of the information and how will they get it?
  6. What specific actions do we want the recipients of the information to take?
  7. What incentives (carrot, stick, or both) and capacity do the recipients have to take action? And how will we know action was taken?"

Sources

Whittle, D, (2013). How Feedback Loops Can Improve Aid (and  Maybe Governance), Center for Global Development. Retrieved from: http://www.cgdev.org/publication/how-feedback-loops-can-improve-aid-and-...

'How Feedback Loops Can Improve Aid (and Maybe Governance)' is referenced in: