Recent efforts to rebuild Haiti by combining Canadian expertise with indigenous efforts are unlikely to be effective. For most of its history, Haiti’s governments and leaders have failed to provide security to their people, to promote economic freedom and to encourage entrepreneurship. The result is an extremely weak formal economy, entrenched corruption, heavy dependence on external assistance, and a large informal sector where most people are barely surviving. The Canadian government has a responsibility to make sure that the allocation of every single aid dollar spent is carefully monitored. Impact-assessment tools need to be applied at every stage, and aid should be revised or withdrawn if results are not achieved.

Haiti without Tears: Getting aid right