This essay presents the policy findings of a collaborative project of field research and analyses of how African countries use aid resources and of donor/African relations.

"The widespread belief of free market economists and nongovernmental organizations that government is the problem and not part of the solution has become a self-fulfilling prophesy in Africa,"writes van de Walle and Johnston, "donors must devote greater attention and resources to help build the capacity of African Governments to effectively manage aid, even as they encourage the central state to retrench from nonessential functions."

The study assesses current donor practices and the impact of economic crisis on aid effectiveness in the region; and it offers recommendations to promote management capacity, focusing on the integration of aid resources in development management, sectoral specialization, and public dialogue on aid.