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Phased Development & Osmosis

“If real development is to take place, the people have to be involved.”

 Priorities

Some aspects of development are more fundamental than others. Any phasing of
development needs to allow for a sensitivity of priority to be attached to key
elements of the overall development (e.g. Important, Urgent, or Important & Urgent)

 Timescales
Some aspects of development require a longer timescale than others

(When reading some studies regarding the impact of Structural Adjustment Programmes, I was struck
by the repeated reference to the 'opening up' of the domestic economy before a suitably robust
regulatory framework had been put in place. )

 Limitations

At every stage of development, there has to be an understanding of limitations that
might apply.
(e.g. There is the rule of thumb that significant societal changes can take 3 generations before they can
be assumed to have become a norm While this rule of thumb does not need to be applied in its literal
form there has to be some adequate rationality where this is relevant.)
*****
Anyone who scours the major academic studies related to Africa can readily see that there

are any number of academics and academic institutions who have the skills to build a
suitable tool.

The logic used in developing the tool may need to be sophisticated in order to

generate widespread confidence. The tool in its application form does not need to be over-
sophisticated.

Piaget's theory of cognitive development identified 4 main development stages with

several sub-stages. Any guidance tool should be able to match a specific underdeveloped
African country with relevant development stages. Each main development stage would set

overall limits and expectations for key development goals, and so set expectations of the

main required developments for which major aid donors would provide appropriate
resources. And against each expectation, a clear statement of how the ownership of the

required development would be shared between the African Government and aid donor

partners.
And such a tool should surely be shared across World Bank, IMF, countries committed

to large ODA spending and INGOs. That alone should improve co-ordination between all
major aid stakeholders and the interaction of their diverse projects. This optimisation