The Portuguese Institute for Development Support (Instituto Português de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento, IPAD) is a development aid agency under the Portuguese Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Since January 2003. IPAD is responsible for the coordination, supervision and direction of the Portuguese official development assistance to developing countries.
The institute focuses on the Portuguese-speaking African countries (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe, known in Portuguese by the acronym PALOP) and East Timor. In 2009 these countries accounted for 66% of the bilateral aid disbursed by IPAD (131 million euros). The same year, the institute disbursed a total of approximately 368 million euros in bilateral and multilateral aid.

 

OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY
1. Strategic Guidelines
The specific guidelines for cooperation policy are drawn from document ‘A Strategic Vision for Portuguese Cooperation’.

With this document attempted to print a better definition of objectives and greater efficiency of the Portuguese Cooperation, harmonizing it with international efforts for the achievement of the MDGs. Learning from international best practices and trying to adapt them to their reality, the Portuguese Government has, thus, a new policy, strategic management, focused on an integrated approach monitoring, evaluation and management-oriented specific objectives and results oriented. The document also sets out the areas priority of the intervention of the Portuguese cooperation, indicates mechanisms available for achieving objectives, and establishes the framework for the relationship between different agents that contribute to development cooperation in Portugal.

In order to comply with the request of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (Seneca), IPAD has developed a set of measures necessary to its operation and to be taken in the short / medium term, which, along with the specific objectives set annually, guide IPAD action in 2010.

Goals to Achieve in 2010
Within the Framework of Assessment and Accountability (QUAR), the following Strategic Objectives for the IPAD were established:

1: Promoting compliance with international commitments in Aid Official Development Assistance (ODA).
2: Coordinate the budget of the Portuguese Cooperation.
3: Promote programs, projects and cooperation activities for development.
4: Develop initiatives to modernize and develop human resources.