The Future of Aid 1: The Rise of the Undergrowth
Author: Tim Harford, Michael Klein, and Klaus Tilmes Date: 3/1/2005 (PDF, 200KB)
Imagine that you are in 2030, reviewing the aid industry over the past 25 years. This Note offers one possible scenario—booming private remittances and nongovernmental aid flows put to innovative uses, eclipsing a less agile, more politically driven official aid industry. A companion Note offers a second scenario. Organizations use scenario planning to prepare for the very long term. Good scenarios are plausible stories about the future, recognizable in the trends of today. The ideal scenario encourages thinking about possible responses. It is in this spirit that this scenario is offered.
For more information on this topic please see our special feature on the Future of Aid.