1. An awful lot of people in the aid system are bad at many parts of their jobs. The skills that get you promoted aren’t necessarily the same skills that lead to good aid programs. That’s good news, I guess, for young people who want to work in aid. Otherwise it’s depressing to think about.
2. Being boxed up in high security buildings isn’t doing US foreign assistance any favors, but after Benghazi I don’t see how the US ever gets to step down security.
3. We’re stuck with aid branding. Every donor wants it – they need it too badly for domestic support to do without. Complaining about branding requirements is a waste of time. I want to see a discussion of how we can minimize harm done by poor branding efforts and use it as a tool for transparency.
4. A lot of people think mHealth is a fad, but I’m seeing more and more TB experts get excited about the ways mHealth can improve individual patient care and the whole health system.
Speaking of discussion around minimising harm and maximising the more positive aspects of branding:
“Instead of railing against the branding practices of multinational corporations and aid agencies, we should be figuring out ways to coopt their strategies and put them to work for the greater good”. Jennifer Foth
http://www.whydev.org/brand-aid-solutions-a-response-to-stop-branding-aid/