Lives in the Balance Improving Accountability for Public Spending in Developing Countries

Foreign aid is under a microscope because of its potential impact and, in some cases, the harm it has brought. Donor countries, which do not want simply to give money away; recipient countries, which need to make the most of what they have and get; and analysts, policymakers, and writers are all scrutinizing how much is spent and where it goes. But aid is only a small part of what developing country governments spend. Their own resources finance 80 percent or more of health and education spending except in the most aid-dependent countries. Lives in the Balance investigates a vital aspect of this landscape - how best to ensure that public spending, including aid money, gets to the right destination.

Charles C. Griffin is senior adviser to the vice president for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank and former senior fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings Institution. David de Ferranti is president of the Results for Development Institute and a former World Bank vice president. Courtney Tolmie is a senior program officer for the Transparency and Accountability Program, a project of the Results for Development Institute. Justin Jacinto, Graeme Ramshaw, and Chinyere Bun all have conducted research for Brookings.