Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the role of a development consultancy as a in supporting democracy and civil society in Zimbabwe, arguing that such organisations should be seen as powerful new actors in the political economy of aid.

Paper long abstract:

Over the past two decades, international development consultancies have played an increasingly important role in the political economy of aid in sub-Saharan Africa. As a result, many activities traditionally overseen by donors themselves are now the responsibility of global consultancies, whose capabilities are enhanced by technical expertise, an entrepreneurial approach and significant capital reserves. In practice, this means that consultants are now major political and economic players across Africa, working on projects ranging from health and education, to infrastructure and governance and democracy. This paper will explore the implications of the rise of consultants through examining a particular initiative in Zimbabwe, the Transparency Responsiveness Accountability Citizen Engagement (TRACE) programme, which is operated by global consultants DAI. The programme, which manages funding from a range of major donors, aims to support civil society organisations in promoting democracy, good governance and human rights in a repressive, authoritarian state. The paper will argue that that whilst the programme is presented as merely fulfilling the requirements of donors, it has actually created a powerful new political actor in Zimbabwe, unifying formerly fragmented funding behind a singular purpose. This has significant implications for civil society organisations promoting democracy and human rights in Zimbabwe, as well as the volatile political landscape, where NGOs and opposition parties contest the authority of an increasingly authoritarian government. Beyond Zimbabwe, this case allows us to think more broadly about the implications of the privatisation of democratisation, and the role of global consultants as political actors.