The awkward power: NORAD's discourse on recipient responsibility

Recipient responsibility and institutional development have been key concep ts in Norwegian development aid policies in the nineties. The analysis of p olicy tests presented in this article exposes dilemmas and ambiguities in N ORAD's discourse. The discussion is related to policies which aim to strengthen aspects of in stitutional development and recipient responsibility in aid to higher educa tion and research in Tanzania. An expressed attempt to transform the receivers of development aid into equ al partners in development, is linked with a lack of trust to the very same receivers and to their institutional capabilities. Poor governance or lack of institutional development, is put forward as the core development probl em which aid should be directed into solving. Recipient responsibility is a key concept in this policy for strengthening management structures and abi lities. On the other hand, it is only developed institutions which can be s ufficiently trusted to be given recipient responsibility. Thus, recipient r esponsibility should contribute to solve the very same problems which are f elt to make the principle of recipient responsibility itself problematic. Somewhat paradoxically it seems as dilemmas such as these are being solved by remaining unsolved. Contrasting and ambiguous narratives of development and aid are mobilized in ways that obscure conflicts and construct developm ent aid as the realization of unified and rational strategies for developme nt in third world countries.