Partner-Led Cooperation

This study brings together the ideas and arguments of Development Counselors, thematic
stakeholders, and Mekong Economics Ltd. It presents a brief review of contemporary PLC-type
instruments being used in Vietnam, including details in their design and common
implementation problems, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Like Minded Donor
Group.

Partner-led cooperation (PLC) is understood in this case as needs- and/or interest- based
assistance to be carried out in cooperation between (at least) one organisation from the donor
country and one from the recipient country. These organisations can be private or public,
commercial, academic or not for profit. The partnerships should be of “mutual benefit” to both
countries (“win-win”), and a reasonable expectation to be sustained post-ODA.

The report discusses PLC as one option in a portfolio of various aid modality options. It
analyses this mode of cooperation in terms of strategic relevance, instrument design and
implementation details, as well as aid effectiveness using material gathered from interviews,
workshops and previous examples. It explores the characteristics of a sturdy working PLC, and
comes to the conclusion that individual efficacy depends upon the mandate of each donor
agency, the regulatory requirements of each donor country, and the circumstances and
capacities in each developing country. It also concludes that effective PLCs must always be
partner-led in selection of partnerships and topics. Donor officials should not think in terms of
normal development assistance planning, but should instead take a more hands-off approach
engendering mutual interests and potential for sustainability.