Someone forgot to send Murray McCully the memo that it is the policy of his Government to pursue “trust based relationships” with the voluntary sector. He recently suspended the funding arrangements that channel $26 million a year of our aid budget through NZ-based NGOs like World Vision, Oxfam, Save the Children – no consultation, no evidence base, no policy analysis. Just Mr McCully’s assertion the funding arrangements are out of step with the Government’s new aid focus on economic development in the Pacific.
Mr McCully claims to be a champion of accountability and cost-effective stewardship of taxpayer funds. But he is attacking NGOs who internationally are the most cost-effective providers of development aid. And he is trashing a partnership between the NGOs and the aid programnme that has been around for 35 years, has stringent accountabilities, and has been used by the Auditor General as a case study in how to manage funding to NGOs.
So what is he up to? This is the latest episode in the Minister’s crusade. Last year he shut down NZAID and shifted the aid programme back into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and changed its mandate from eliminating poverty to promoting economic development. He then took revenge on the NGOs umbrella group the Council for Development slashing its funding by 75% for having had the temerity to criticise the changes to NZAID.
He is now re-organising the funding arrangements for NGOs. He claims it is about improving accountability and effectiveness but his real agenda is more ideological in my view, as revealed by his comment on Radio NZ that “rather too many of these programmes are focused on trade union rights in obscure parts of the world”.
Meanwhile the NGOs and their partners in developing countries who run the aid projects are left wondering whether they will have funding this year.
The weird thing about all this is that the Minister is clearly hostile to almost everything the aid programme stands for. He has a history of being a bullying micro-manager, constantly interfering in operational decisions, abusing officials and rubbishing much of the work they do. Seems like history is repeating itself.
For the full story see my op ed in today’s Dom Post.
Just wait Mr McCully, karma is a ***** – and it might only take until elections 2011 to swing around
One understands that Mr McCully’s performance across his portfolios (especially the World Cup and MFAT) neither endears him to his officials nor to some of his own political allies. Plus ça change.
He has a history of being a bullying micro-manager, constantly interfering in operational decisions, abusing officials and rubbishing much of the work they do.
That is what I have heard about the man, from more than one person who have had to work in his ministries. I believe they will be thanking you for saying it out loud Phil.
I find it sad that clearly aid is no longer about helping people to help themselves in a dignified and respectful manner.
Phil – great to your leadership on this from over the other side of the Tasman.
What Mr McCully says goes, and he strategically places Chairs and board members on his Crown Entities to ensure he gets it. Ask anyone at Sparc if they were consulted about, or supported the change from the highly successful sportfit programme to “kiwisport”.