Results-Based Management & Swedish Development Cooperation. The Pursuit of Measurable Results

Abstract

The overall objective of this thesis is to bring forward the discursive struggle that exists between the research community and Sweden’s development initiative. This is done by mapping out the discursive contents of the critiques that has been related to Results-­‐Based Management, and analysing how Swedish development policy has changed during the past nine years, and if the criticism provided by the research community has influenced the government, or been taken into regard when constructing the newest development platform.

The study was conducted using a Critical Discourse Analysis approach, and analysed three government propositions, including Sweden’s newest development platform from 2014. One of the main findings of this thesis is that the government is fully aware of the critiques presented by the research community, while the research community’s critiques has also been taken into regard when constructing the newest development platform. Although we can see that the research community’s standpoint is reflected, and even pursued from time to time, the strong focus on results in development is still reproduced, and even strengthened in Swedish development cooperation by adopting a results-­‐culture in agencies and even in recipient institutions. We can also observe that Swedish development has changed during the past nine years, but the development discourse in general, has not, indicating a stronger focus on results in future development cooperation.