OECD Development Co-operation Peer Reviews: Austria 2020
The OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC) conducts periodic reviews of the individual development co-operation efforts of DAC members. The policies and programmes of each DAC member are critically examined once every five to six years. DAC peer reviews assess the performance of a given member, not just that of its development co-operation agency, and examine both policy and implementation. They take an integrated, system-wide perspective on the development co-operation activities of the member under review and its approach to fragility, crisis and humanitarian assistance.
Austria prioritises its multilateral engagement, advocates actively on global challenges such as security and environmental sustainability, and demonstrates regional leadership. The Austrian Development Agency is delivering quality development assistance to Austria’s priority partner countries but is responsible for only a small share of Austria’s total official development assistance (ODA) effort. In the absence of a single, overarching policy vision, Austria’s ODA remains fragmented. This review looks at the opportunities for Austria to achieve a more co-ordinated and coherent whole-of-government approach. It also emphasises the need for Austria to develop a plan to increase its aid budget in line with its commitment to allocate 0.7% of its gross national income to ODA.
Austria’s delivery modalities and partnerships
This chapter looks at the principles which guide Austria’s partnership approach across its development portfolio, and how Austria uses its financial, diplomatic and technical resources in its global engagement and in partner countries. It assesses whether the approach and principles are consistent with Austria’s development co-operation policy and international commitments on development effectiveness: ownership of development priorities by developing countries; a focus on results; inclusive development partnerships; and transparency and accountability to each other.It begins by considering Austria’s approach to partnerships for development co-operation with a range of actors, assessing whether they embody the development effectiveness principles. It then explores whether Austria’s work in partner countries is in keeping with its domestic and international commitments to, and principles of, effective development co-operation.