Defining and evaluating sector wide approaches

Veronica Walford, 2003

There is not a single agreed definition of what a sector-wide approach is, and while this flexibility was useful in the early years of developing the concept, the lack of clarity is becoming a constraint to discussion and decisions. There are cases where there is debate over whether or not a country has a sector wide approach (SWAp), as well as controversy over whether there can be ‘sub-sector SWAps’.

The purpose of the paper (prepared for the Inter-Agency Group on SWAps and Development Cooperation) is to seek agreement on the definition of a SWAp, and identify how sector-wide approaches can be evaluated.