Aid Fragmentation and Coherence: Is a More Integrated Approach the Answer to Canadian Aid Effectiveness?

Abstract

This chapter examines how and whether the 2013 merger of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) into a new Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) will create greater coherence in Canadian aid policies. Focusing on the implications for addressing state fragility in particular, we evaluate the implications of the merger on policy coherence and aid effectiveness. We use a comparative approach to examine Canada’s new arrangement against the donor models used by the UK and Norway and find that political leadership and a clearly articulated vision for aid are more important determinants of policy coherence than organizational structure.