Oil for Development summary report

Oil for Development (OfD) was one of Norway’s main bilateral development cooperation programmes from 2005 to 2024. It was a governance programme designed to help partner countries to manage petroleum resources in ways that support sustainable economic growth, public welfare, and environmental protection. Over nearly two decades, Norway worked with around 35 countries. The accumulated funding for the programme was about NOK 3.5 billion. The programme focused on four connected governance areas: resource management, revenue management, environmental management and safety, with transparency and accountability built into all activities.

A defining feature of OfD was its long-term, peer-to-peer institutional cooperation. Norwegian public institutions worked directly with partner-country institutions on practical tasks such as developing laws and regulations, improving licensing and supervision systems, strengthening tax and budget frameworks, building data systems, and enhancing environmental and safety regulation. The programme was demand-driven, and focused on countries with petroleum potential, partner commitment, and clear governance needs.

The purpose with this report is to summarise results and experiences of the OfD programme, with a particular focus on capturing lessons learned that can be a valuable reference for other development assistance programmes within the Knowledge Bank in Norad.