New Zealand isn’t a large donor, so it works hard to be an effective one.
The country takes a results-based approach to spending its aid budget, which included $438 million in official development assistance over the last twelve months. The New Zealand aid program focuses on aligning projects closely with community needs, involving local leaders in decision-making, and sharing lessons and trust.
“We cannot pretend we are one of the great economies of the world and can put in all the money in the world that others can,” James Bolger, New Zealand's prime minister from 1990 to 1997 and the main proponent for the establishment of the Mekong Institute, told Devex. “But we can do it as well or better than others because of our small size, and I think our empathy with the people we work with.”