This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review explores how Technical Assistance is a common strategy that is often framed as essential for the effectiveness of development Aid in low-income countries.
However, whilst there is evidence that TA activities might be effective in strengthening capacities of health systems in low-income countries, it is important to note the following: Technical Assistance is a complex intervention that necessitates rigorous approaches required to take into account the relative contribution of the components, layers, and relationships.
The duration of implementing TA activities and evaluating the effectiveness and sustainability is often within the short-term which limits the ability to assess its sustainability. Whilst ownership and buy-in of the recipient is a critical input to the TA activities, and models such as “pull TA” or “problem-driven TA” have been framed around it, there are limited or no efforts to assess the relative contribution of these models to the sustainability of capacity strengthening.
Explore all K4DD outputs here.