ÖFSE strategy paper 2008

The Austrian Research Foundation for International Development (ÖFSE - Österreichische Forschungsstiftung für internationale Entwicklung) recently published a strategy paper (in German) with its vision and objectives for the coming years. Hereby, the organization wants to adjust to new developments within Austrian development cooperation and the international cooperation environment.

ÖFSE sees itself as an internationally linked research, information and documentation centre with a prominent position within Austrian Development Cooperation. It wants to increase knowledge within the Austrian development community and the public in general.

As priorities for the up-coming years the paper states:

• further organizational development towards an internationally linked research institute which works on edged-cutting issues;
• stabilize its position as a forum for discussion on private and public development cooperation, through the organisation of events and conferences
• extend its consultancy work and applied services

According to the paper, access to information and knowledge is key for future-oriented action. ÖFSE wants to sharpen its profile by:

• further developing country profiles and regionalized content
• continuing the collection of documents and publications related to Austrian Development Cooperation
• the development of new information services

ÖFSEs research profile is based on the target of poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Future research areas outlined in the paper are:

• International Development Policy and Cooperation: especially of the EU and development and cooperation of donor strategies through the OECD
• Austrian Development Policy and Cooperation: including policy objectives, financing issues, private development cooperation
  
• International Development Policy and Global Economy: strategies of International Finance Institutions, International Finance and Trade Policy and its influence on development countries
• Fundamental approaches and strategies in poverty alleviation and sustainable development
• The role of the education sector in development processes, strategies of educational development within Bi- and Multilateral Cooperation

See also the information service of ÖFSE on Austrian Development Cooperation at eza.at

See Euforic's dossier on Austrian development cooperation,or sign up for our OEFSE newsfeed or our German language newsfeed on German, Austrian and Swiss Development Cooperation.

by Martin Behrens