“Sustainable Strategies for Implementing Development Assistance: Conflict Resolution, Female Empowerment and Enterprise in Africa and the Diaspora”
by Anjanette DeCarlo
Monday, October 4th, 2010
Seminar: 1:30 pm at Gund Institute Conference Room
Defense: 2:30 pm at Gund Institute Conference Room
ABSTRACT
To successfully reduce poverty professionals need to know why international development projects fail. Inconsistencies in policy on foreign aid, miss the links between the environment and sustainability and lead to a trust deficit between development donors and aid recipients. This thesis asks a fundamental question of what are the critical ingredients of success in development projects that aspire to meet goals of "sustainability." In this context three real world, ongoing projects have been selected that are guided by flexible and participatory development approaches and a drive for sustainability. The dissertation hypothesizes that responsible business, women's rights and civil society mediation can play integral roles in project success. This proposal lays out a research plan that will create Case Studies of each project using the method of Ethnography and Auto Ethnography. The three Case Studies are: Paper 1. "Sustainable Business in Somalia's Critical Green Zone: Somaliland and the Frankincense Industry" Paper 2. "In Her Words: Empowering Women in Post Conflict Sierra Leone" Paper 3. "Grassroots to Grassroots: NGO Ownership in the Dominican Republic Through Professional Capacity Building between Developed and Developing Countries."
The tools will differ for each Case Study and include direct observation, focus groups, interviews and formative program evaluations. The information and data collected for Case Study 1 and 3, will be analyzed by Qualitative Content Analysis using the Mayring method, which consists of a bundle of techniques for systematic text analysis. Case Study 2 will use Narrative Method. The software tool identified for qualitative content analysis is MAXQDA, which allows for analysis of trends in answers between different stakeholders within the same case study as well as be able to analyze trends over the course of time in some instances. Overall insights between the case studies pertaining to the links between environment-women and development will be analyzed as well. The intended audience is academics, development professionals, multilateral and bilateral agencies, foundations and NGOs.