Author Description

Critics of foreign aid claim that assistance is often ineffective and sometimes counterproductive. And yet in this study commissioned by the World Bank and the IMF, Robert Cassen and a team of independent consultants show that most aid is successful in terms of its own objectives and obtains a reasonable rate of return. Acknowledging the possible pitfalls of foreign aid, Cassen compares them with those of other forms of private and public investment, and concludes with a proposal for improving effectiveness.