This chapter examines the ability of international organizations to shape and reform African administrations. In doing this, it highlights the practical implications of buzzwords such as ownership and capacity-building. It builds on the case-study of the technical unit (Cellule technique Cadre stratégique de lutte contre la pauvreté) established under the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) in Mali, an aid-dependent country in West Africa. 2 Until the coup d'état that took place in 2012 and the ensuing political instability, despite its poor