Why Some Development Works: Understanding Success

Description

Why do some development projects succeed where others fail? This book looks at some macro and some less known micro success stories and considers what enabled them to bring change in some of the world's most deprived communities. Using case studies from ten countries across Latin America, Africa, and Asia, Tiwari's innovative approach offers a multi-layered understanding of poverty which provides insights into causal, enabling and impeding factors. While a macro level analysis of development is a common feature of the current literature, there has been little attempt to develop a micro level understanding of development at the grassroots. Tiwari's work fills this important gap while drawing attention to the importance of engaging local actors at an individual, collective, and state level, demonstrating how achieving a “convergence” of goals among all actors is a crucial component to a development project's success. Looking beyond the case studies to consider how this unique “convergence framework” might be usefully applied to other contexts, the book has profound implications for how we view fragile states and conflict zones, and the ability of the international agencies to take effective action. A unique study based on extensive empirical research, Why Some Development Works will make essential reading for students and researchers studying international development across the social sciences, as well as humanitarian and development practitioners and policy makers. Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Contents Illustrations Figures Tables Acknowledgements Chapter 1: Introduction: The world has more negatives than positives, or does it?  The story of why some development works Organization of the book Chapter 2: The story so far . . . Chapter 3: The convergence framework (CF) Chapter 4: The macro landscape Chapter 5: The micro landscape Chapter 6: The fragile context Chapter 7: What next – the conclusion Chapter 2: The story so far . . .: Achievements and good practices in improving the lives of the poor Successful country case studies Analytical framework for identifying best practices How to bring about change? How development progress has happened So, what can we learn from the story so far? Chapter 3: The convergence framework (CF): Insights into what makes some interventions achieve better outcomes than others PDS kerosene oil Who are the SHG women? What happened? How did it happen? The convergence framework Chapter 4: The macro landscape: Does the convergence framework explain development progress at the macro level? Fome Zero to Bolsa Familia What is Fome Zero? and What is Bolsa Familia? How did it work? What has it achieved? The pitfalls Fome Zero and the convergence framework Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (2009) What is MGNREGA? How does it work? What has it achieved? The pitfalls MGNREGA and the convergence framework Convergence framework at the macro landscape Chapter 5: The micro landscape: Understanding development progress at micro level within the convergence framework Introduction The exemplars Instituto Fazendo História, Brazil ATD Fourth World in London, UK Mothers’ Union Uganda: The Eagle Project Save the Girl Child Childreach, Hissar, India The micro unit – champions of change on the ground Conclusion Chapter 6: The fragile context: Can the convergence framework be used to explain how some development works in fragile contexts? Introduction Fragile context: Why treat it differently? Does convergence theory explain what works in fragile contexts? Case studies and Lebanon’s precarious politics and life amidst volatilities Convergence framework in post-war Lebanon Conclusion Chapter 7: Conclusion Bibliography Further Reading Index