From the perspective of a distinguished director of technical cooperation projects in Hungary and the Russian Federation (as well as several Asian countries in an earlier period), this book provides a set of lessons for structuring a successful program. These lessons are for the donor community and the firms and individuals in charge of implementation. Written in readable nontechnical terms, Making Aid Work is a must for both the donor community and firms and individuals on the implementation front line.

According to a General Accounting Office report, the Russian Federation project that Struyk uses for his primary examples has won rare praise: "The USAID Mission Director in Moscow called it one of the most successful ones he has ever seen. A USAID official in Washington said that, for the money, no USAID project has had more macroeconomic impact."