Mali is one of the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa and is heavily dependent on donor aid. A Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) for Mali was finalised in 2002. Though a key principle of PRSPs is ‘country-ownership’, for many in the Malian government, this was seen as nothing more than a necessary step on the path to debt relief. Some civil servants considered it as a political move and others as an instrument of the Bretton Woods Institutions. It is possible for Mali to take completely responsibility for the PRSP. But for this to happen, the World Bank and IMF need to show that they are committed to the PRSP and that it is not just ‘yet another instrument’.

Researchers from the European Research Centre in Development Economics (DIAL) and the Paris Dauphine University followed the Malian PRSP process for two years to record the evolving patterns of change in rules and regulations and in the relationships between government and donors.

The PRSP process posed some problems at the beginning due to the initial reluctance of the local high-level bureaucrats and officials to take responsibility for it, particularly because the World Bank insisted on a new process for the PRSP despite an existing national (UNDP supported) anti-poverty strategy. Even when this problem was overcome, it was difficult for the government to co-ordinate the PRSP process. The WB and IMF limited their direct participation in the process and the involvement of bilateral donors increased progressively.

The general consensus was that debt relief was important for the country and that everything should be done to make the local officials accept the PRSP process. Also, as there was fresh money available for this, it became an attractive prospect. Gradually, more number of people got involved in it. The working groups which prepared the PRSP included multiple stakeholders, and consultations took place at the district level.

The PRSP process was eventually accepted and government and local people’s attitudes towards the process slowly altered. The researchers found that:

There is more political commitment to addressing poverty now and it is closely linked with issues like democracy and transparency.

Higher–level bureaucrats in the government are committed to the PRSP and have encouraged the process though lower officials find the PRSP process very demanding.

Donor co-ordination in channelling aid funds has improved and simultaneously reformed measures for better planning and allocation of government expenses are under way: these form a part of the PRSP process which aim to bring long-term changes.

Though there are several local NGOs and community organisations in Mali, they are not very strong and influential generally: their participation in the PRSP process is driven by donors and they lack technical and political legitimacy and therefore had little influence on the PRSP.

The Malian administration is not organised to work out and implement policies. A general move towards supporting the government financially (i.e. budgetary support through donor aid)

Source(s):
Chapter Five: ‘Mali.’ in Fighting Poverty in Africa: are PRSPs making a difference? David Booth (ed), London: Overseas Development Institute, by Idrissa Dante, Jean-François Gautier, Mohamed Ali Marouani and Marc Raffinot, 2004.

Funded by: Department for International Development (UK)

id21 Research Highlight: 6 November 2004

Further Information:
Mohamed Ali Marouani
European Research Centre in Development Economics (DIAL)
ERF and Universite Paris Dauphine
4 rue d’Enghein, 75010,
Paris, France

Tel: +33 1 53 24 14 73
Fax: +33 1 53 24 14 51
Contact the contributor: marouani@dial.prd.fr

European Research Centre in Development Economics (DIAL)

Mark Raffinot
EURIsCO, Universite Paris Dauphine and DIAL
Place du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny - 75775
Paris cedex 16

Tel: 01 44 05 44 05
Fax: 01 44 05 49 49
Contact the contributor: raffinot@dauphine.fr

Universite Paris Dauphine

Other related links:
'The Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper: the right approach?'

'Mainstreaming the poverty-reduction agenda'

'IMF/World Bank Poverty Reduction Strategy: effective, participatory and locally owned?'

'Poverty reduction strategies in LDCs: repeating past mistakes?'

'PRSP: the story so far….' from ELDIS

See the World Bank site on poverty reduction strategies and PRSPs

More from the PRSP Document Library