154 Poverty and Hunger
Personal continuity, motivation and effectiveness
With the shift of emphasis in aid from projects to sector programmes and policy
influence, and with the language of partnership and ownership, so relationships
and continuity have become ever more important (Eyben, 2004; Groves and
Hinton, 2004). Good relationships are fostered by continuity of aid agency staff in
country and in post. Continuity also provides incentives and opportunities for
vital learning. How can a foreigner be engaged in sensible policy dialogue without
knowing and understanding a country?
A crucial aspect of continuity is people staying in the same post, place or sec-
tor, gaining experience and developing good working relationships. Quite excep-
tionally for an Indian Administrative Service officer, Syed Hashim Ali was left in
charge of irrigation command area development in Andhra Pradesh for seven years,
from 1974 to 1981. Through this continuity and his personal commitment, much
learning took place and he was able to make and oversee major shifts and improve-
ments in policy and practice. Continuity in linking field experience with policy
can also be important. E. G. Giglioli’s experience as manager of the Mwea Irriga-
tion Settlement was crucial to the insights and authority that he later brought to
the establishment and management of the NIB in Kenya (Chambers and Moris,
1973).
Partnerships in the Philippines and in Uganda show how continuity and long-
standing relationships can be the foundation for major changes. Over some ten
years in the Philippines, Benjamin Bagadion of the National Irrigation Adminis-
tration and Frances Korten of the Ford Foundation worked together with a stable
network of colleagues. During this time they were instrumental in gradually trans-
forming much irrigation policy and practice (Bagadion and Korten, 1989). In
Uganda, the UPPAP (Uganda Participatory Poverty Assessment Process) was pro-
moted and supported by an alliance of champions in both donor and recipient
organizations working closely together over a number of years (Yates and Okello,
2002, pp90, 93; Kakande, 2004). It continues as an innovative programme that
has given poor people’s priorities policy clout and has also influenced PPAs (par-
ticipatory poverty assessments) in other countries. In my judgement, neither the
Philippine irrigation reforms nor UPPAP could have occurred without the rela-
tionships, trust and shared purpose, which could evolve because the main actors
remained for some years in their posts and organizations. Without that continuity,
the loss would have been not just national, to the Philippines or to Uganda: irriga-
tion management in the Philippines has probably been more influential worldwide
than in any other country, and UPPAP experience has influenced many other
PPAs. The loss would have been international, to many countries and to our
understanding of how to do better in development.
Expected and actual continuity in post has profound effects on motivation,
behaviour and learning, whether in government, INGOs (international non-
governmental organizations) or aid organizations. Over time relationships can go
beyond mutual respect and collegiality and flower into friendship.^22 Three condi-
tions that help are long journeys together by car or train, mild hardships in the