Introduction and Overview

PRSPs have achieved a useful mainstreaming of anti–poverty efforts in national policy processes in Africa. However, the seven country experiences synthesised in this article reveal differences as well as commonalities. Whether or not vicious circles of patrimonial politics, state weakness and ineffectual aid can be replaced with virtuous ones, based on greater national ownership of anti–poverty effort, is still uncertain. PRSPs add value to technocratic reforms in public management, by opening new spaces for policy dialogue, but reforms remain vital, especially in regard to the budget. Donors, also, need to take more risks and impose some disciplines on themselves. The hypothesis that PRSP processes can promote changes leading to more effective poverty reduction needs refinement, but remains plausible on balance.