Masters of their own development: PRSPs and the prospects for the poor

The World Vision publication, "Masters of their own development: PRSPs and the prospects for the poor", questions the claims and assumptions that Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) are pro-poor, nationally-owned and driven, participatory poverty reduction strategies. The report uses case studies from six countries to identify the constraints being experienced by Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) in conducting PRSPs, which, according to the World Bank, should be country-driven, comprehensive in scope, partnership-oriented, and participatory.

According to the Bretton Woods Project, PRSPs are intended to be the basis for all foreign aid to poor countries. All HIPCs are required to produce a PRSP as a basis for concessional lending and debt relief by the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The World Vision report identifies four structural problems that are preventing PRSPs from being truly nationally-driven and participatory, these being economic conditionally, liberalization of northern markets, government capacity and aid levels.

In addition the report recommends a greater role for civil society in the PRSPs process going beyond information dissemination to genuine participation, in which the recommendations of NGO actors influence policy.

Click here to download the document.

For more information on Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers,
Click here for the World Bank and PRSPs
Click here for the International Monetary Fund and PRSPs
Click here for the Bretton Woods Project's rough guide to PRSPs