Few take advantage of Fund transparency to trigger open discussions on aid effectiveness.

Today’s online collaboration tools and techniques, often referred to as “Web 2.0”, combined with the rapid spread of the internet, the convergence of the web with mobile devices and the improvement of connection speeds in developing countries, offer unprecedented opportunities in health communications. While global organizations may find compelling reasons to promote the collaboration and sharing of experience among health experts, the decentralized logic of Web 2.0 is confronted with the traditional institutional approach to communications and the intellectual and social framework that comes with it. As the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria’s experience shows, the main challenges in harnessing the potential of online collaboration have much less to do with technological considerations than managing institutional change, spending enough resources on staff with the right set of specialized skills, and showing patience in achieving results.

Post-war Georgia: a fascinating case study on accountability in international aid.