Aid Effectiveness and Multilevel Governance: The Case of a Value Chain Development Project in Rural Ethiopia

ABSTRACT. Modern societies are increasingly characterised by complex multilevel governance mechanisms. Nonetheless, evaluations of how development initiatives are implemented with respect to the international aid effectiveness agenda have embraced this multilevel complexity only to a limited extent. The purpose of this paper is twofold. Firstly, to place the discussion on aid effectiveness within a multilevel governance perspective, going beyond country assessments. Secondly, to evaluate the Paris principles in terms of dynamic processes rather than simply outcomes, thus entailing the need for systemic evaluations, also through participatory methods. The Ethio-Italian cooperation project ‘‘Agricultural Value Chains in Oromia’’ is analysed as a case study, assessing its coherence with the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness by involving stakeholders at different levels. Overall, the project’s focus on transformative quality-oriented value chain processes is proved to substantially shape dynamic multi-stakeholder interactions in enhancing Paris principles at local, national and international levels.