TRANSFORMATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT AID REGIME AND THE RISE OF PRO-POOR AID: A CRITICAL INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS

TRANSFORMATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT AID REGIME AND THE RISE OF PRO-POOR AID: A CRITICAL INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS

Kadir YAMAN

ÖZET
This study analyzes the historical transformation of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) regime from a Cold War-era geopolitical interest-driven approach to a post-Cold War paradigm centered on human welfare and poverty reduction. Focusing on the institutionalization process of Pro-Poor Aid (PPA) under the leadership of the OECD Development Assistance Committee, the research examines how the concept evolved into an operational norm and governance tool through the Creditor Reporting System (CRS) and sectoral codes. Drawing on critical theory perspectives complemented by International Regime Theory and the Capabilities Approach, the study finds that institutionalization has not fully transformed underlying power asymmetries and dependency relations. The study concludes that PPA represents a meaningful but conditional institutional achievement whose transformative potential depends on distribution-sensitive design, recipient ownership, and evidence that assistance expands the substantive capabilities of people experiencing poverty and exclusion.

ABSTRACT
This study analyzes the historical transformation of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) regime from a Cold War-era geopolitical interest-driven approach to a post-Cold War paradigm centered on human welfare and poverty reduction. Focusing on the institutionalization process of Pro-Poor Aid (PPA) under the leadership of the OECD Development Assistance Committee, the research examines how the concept evolved into an operational norm and governance tool through the Creditor Reporting System (CRS) and sectoral codes. Drawing on critical theory perspectives complemented by International Regime Theory and the Capabilities Approach, the study finds that institutionalization has not fully transformed underlying power asymmetries and dependency relations. The study concludes that PPA represents a meaningful but conditional institutional achievement whose transformative potential depends on distribution-sensitive design, recipient ownership, and evidence that assistance expands the substantive capabilities of people experiencing poverty and exclusion.

ANAHTAR KELİMELER: Official Development Assistance (ODA), Pro-Poor Aid (PPA), Norm institutionalization, Creditor Reporting System (CRS), International Regime Theory

KEYWORDS: Official Development Assistance (ODA), Pro-Poor Aid (PPA), Norm institutionalization, Creditor Reporting System (CRS), International Regime Theory

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