Pressinbjudan: Bekämpa fattigdom på ett effektivt sätt - Development Talks 16/11

I år ger Sida 20 miljarder kronor i bistånd, men hur vet vi att det leder till hållbar utveckling? Att pengarna faktiskt används på ett så effektivt sätt som möjligt?

Sida arrangerar tillsammans med tankesmedjan Copenhagen Consensus Center "Development Talks - Fighting poverty in the most effective way", där vi försöker överbygga klyftan mellan forskare och utvecklingsaktörer.

För att identifiera de smartaste lösningarna för de största problemen i världen arbetar Copenhagen Consensus med en kostnad-nytta-analys, där de till exempel nyligen jobbat med regeringarna i Bangladesh, Haiti och Indien för att stödja deras policyarbete och vilka prioreteringar som ska göras.

I detta seminarium kommer olika perspektiv presenteras kring hur lösningar för en hållbar utveckling kan prioriteras och hur biståndsmedel kan användas så effektivt som möjligt. Gästar gör bland annat Copenhagen Consensus Centers Bjørn Lomborg, rankad av TIME Magazine som en av världen 100 mest inflytelserika personer och författare till böcker som "How to Spend $75 Billion to Make the World a Better Place".

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When: Thursday, 16 November 2017
Time: 13.15 – 16.00 (coffee and registration from 12.45)
Place: Sida, Valhallavägen 199, Stockholm

In 2017, Sida will spend around 20 billion SEK on aid, with the mission to reduce poverty and help people to improve their lives. Different kinds of interventions are funded to reach this goal, but how do we know that poverty is being fought in the most effective way? What drives the decisions leading up to what to prioritize, and how can we ensure more "bang for the buck"?

The Government policy framework for Swedish development cooperation and humanitarian assistance is based on the Agenda 2030 with its 17 Global Goals and 169 targets. The framework is characterised by its many perspectives and targets, all of which are to be considered in Sida's support for a broad range of interventions.

Many aspects – such as relevance analysis and Swedish comparative advantage – shape aid spending. However, without methods for prioritisation, there is a risk that technical merit and effectiveness is ignored in the decision-making process.

Given the pressures and limits on funding, discussions over efficiency and evidence-based prioritisation are even more necessary. In economics research, there are straightforward approaches to compare the costs and benefits of different courses of action, and see which yields the best results.

The think-tank Copenhagen Consensus Center has used cost-benefit analysis to help identify the smartest solutions to the world's biggest problems, and has recently been working with the governments of Bangladesh, Haiti and India to support better policy prioritisation.

In collaboration with the Copenhagen Consensus Center, Sida invites you to a seminar that aims to bridge the gap between researchers and development practitioners. Different perspectives will be presented and discussed on how development solutions can be prioritised and aid budgets spent in the most effective way.

Welcome!

The event is free of charge.

Moderator: Olof Sandkull, Development Analyst, Sida

Programme

12.45 Registration and coffee

13.15 Welcome and introduction
Olof Sandkull, Development Analyst, Sida

13.20 Priorities in Swedish International Development Cooperation
What are the political processes underlying the priorities for Sweden's development cooperation and directives to Sida?
Ulrika Modéer, State Secretary to the Minister for International Development Cooperation, Ministry for Foreign Affairs

13.40 Sida's approach to making informed decisions and strategic choices
What are the methods used for conducting analyses and assessments underpinning the decisions in Sida's intervention and strategy processes?
Marie Ottosson, Deputy Director-General, Sida

14.00 Evidence-based prioritisation and the use of cost-benefit analysis
What are the experiences of using cost-benefit analysis to inform policy-makers in the Bangladesh, Haiti and India prioritisation projects? Can this approach be applied in Sida's work?
Bjorn Lomborg, President, Copenhagen Consensus Center

14.30 Economic research in a development cooperation context
What is an economist's point of view regarding allocation for poverty reduction with a limited aid budget? What does economics research tell us about development effectiveness?
Arne Bigsten, Professor, Dept. of Economics, University of Gothenburg

14.50 Coffee break

15.10 Panel discussion
Ulrika Modéer, Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Bjorn Lomborg, Copenhagen Consensus Center
Arne Bigsten, University of Gothenburg
Marie Ottosson, Sida

15.55 Closing
Olof Sandkull, Development Analyst, Sida

16.00 End of Development Talks