nextThe conventional wisdom is that the reality is more complex than development
theory or our strategic frameworks. Nowadays, I am wondering whether this still
holds true. Looking at some recent vintage UNDAFs and programme models, reality
seems to be more straightforward. Don’t we have any simple solutions, for crying
out loud?
Huh? Let me try again:
Misery is caused by many intertwining and intersecting causalities, and complex
underlying and structural conditions. Development assistance should also help
countries to build knowledge and capacities to unravel the mysteries of
underdevelopment. Our analytical tools and skills need to be quite
sophisticated. But our typical partner is not a gender-sensitive and
results-managing public health economist, with inter-sectoral visions of
participatory budgeting, community capacity development, life-cycle approach and
rights-based policy and legal reform frameworks.
Our programming advice must not be shrouded in ever new and changing models,
with as many cross-cutting and multi-dimensional layers as one can possibly cram
into a PowerPoint presentation.
Most of our national partners and our staff want to use the Country Programme
Action Plans to agree with us on and remind themselves of the needed action. The
science of programming, I suppose, is also about reducing a complex and
overwhelming reality into some clear, evidence-based and down-to-earth punch
lines for action.
(17 December 2004)
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