This Briefing Paper by David Booth examines aid effectiveness and the impact of the Paris Principles in the run-up to the Third High Level Forum, in  Accra in September 2008. Drawing on research commissioned by ABIA, it concludes that political change in aid recipient countries is more important than anyone is admitting and that donor alignment efforts are compromised by a damaging mix of risk-avoidance and political correctness. It argues that both donors and country authorities should assume greater responsibility for their own incentive structures.