nextThe focus of the MDG campaign on the manifestations of key development
challenges, such as high child mortality or poverty, seems to be a good rallying
strategy, because who wouldn’t agree? Not much rallying needed here, really.
But things tend to fall apart very quickly in the analysis. The complex web of
causalities can be very hard on the unaided intuition. UNDG Representatives
struggling to prepare a decent CCA went on record saying that the preparation of
a problem tree is beyond them.
Now, I can live without a diagram of a problem tree, but I would still like to
see some compelling prose – more likely a dry essay – clearly pointing out the
key underlying and basic causes of the serious drama in our programme countries.
But as it were, agreement among agencies on deeper causalities cannot be reached
easily.
Our analyses, by reverse osmosis, are shaped by our organizational mandates,
priorities and individual professional histories[1]. UNDP will
always blame poor governance. For economists, the basic cause of
under-development is the lack of economic growth. UNFPA will always see the
population dimension and for UNIFEM, the major evil is discrimination by gender.
For others, the lack of knowledge, skills and education is the cause of
everything. A sub-species believes that communities cannot identify and solve
their own problems. FAO thinks the ability to grow enough food is fundamental.
Because we think we have a solution, we form our analysis around it.
In most cases, everybody might be somewhat right, adding value to the debate.
But in the search for the common denominator, our joint analyses are at risk of
turning rather shallow.
Also at this week’s global meeting on Quality Support and Assurance for CCAs and
UNDAFs, participants looked for order amid diversity. Two recommendations in
particular seem to hold much potential for unifying us around a serious,
in-depth analysis:
· Attention to the Human Rights based Approach to Programming; and
· Improved analytical skills and capacities among staff in programme planning,
monitoring and evaluation.
Nothing new, really. But still very promising.
[1] As we recall from High School, osmosis creates spectacularly high pressure.
(10 December 2004)
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