The Aid Policy Network in Pakistan: An Actor-Network Analysis

Despite an extensive debate on foreign aid, the voluminous literature mainly focuses on the evaluation of foreign aid outcomes (or aid effectiveness). The aid literature has rarely considered the aid policy process and the influence of aid policy networks on managing foreign aid decisions in an aid recipient country. Using an actor-network analysis, this study helps to understand the complexities, interdependencies, and constraints involved in managing aid policy process in Pakistan. The findings indicate that absence of an inclusive actionable development framework and limited capacity of the state provide opportunities for donors to dominate the policy debate and pursue their own priorities. Further, the provincial devolution of 2011 has made the aid delivery system in Pakistan even more fragmented and complex, operating at multiple levels.