Developments in Development

Looking into UNDP means that I need to be aware of the developments in international aid.

The materials I have gathered focus heavily on the political and economical aspects of the development agenda; explicit literature on the implementation of international programmes and projects are limited. Filtering through the books and picking up related themes to my thesis topic, here are some interesting thoughts I have gathered:

• Development studies has been a struggling discipline; because for the 50+ years of active international development activities, little evidence has proven that international aid has indeed helped improve the situations of poorer nations (Rashid, 2011). 
• Feeney (1998) has attributed failure of numerous projects to the lack of understanding of the socio-economical background of developing countries. Rondinelli (1993) reiterates that development projects "have never adequately reflected the underlying uncertainties" of developing nations.
• The development agenda is moving towards a more participative approach; shifting away from micro-managed interjections towards an approach that encourages building capacities, strengthening institutions and promoting country ownership. 
• According to Mosse (2005) the new development approach looks at narrowing the ends of development (focusing and defining the international development targets) and widening the means (improving the capabilities).

In my perspective, I think these points highlight the programmification of the development institutions. In the 21st century, multi-lateral organisations have minimised their role in implementing the projects themselves; taking more involvement at programme level. On the programme level  (in participation with the developing countires) the agencies set up the development targets, aid the selection of projects, build up the country capacities and allow the country counterparts to implement the projects.

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References:

FEENEY, P. 1998. Accountable aid : local participation in major projects, Oxford, Oxfam Publications.

MOSSE, D. 2005. Cultivating development : an ethnography of aid policy and practice, London ; Ann Arbor, MI, Pluto Press.

RASHID, T. 2011. Why it Matters: Role of Academia in Development and Aid Effectiveness.

RONDINELLI, D. A. 1993. Development projects as policy experiments : an adaptive approach to development administration, London, Routledge.