Sacha GrodzinskiChair, Engineers Without Borders UK

Introduction to International Development

10th Dec 2010

Overview: 1. Intro to development: What is development?

Who is involved? How it be measured?When did it develop?Where does it happy?

2. Complexity of Development: Thinking about Impact

3. Advice: Know Before you GoIn the ‘field’On your return

1. Intro to development?

What is Development?

What is Development?There is no universal definition, but most used

viewed as:

Economic growth plus the social changes

caused by or accompanying that

economic growthSeitz 1995

Including development that is the opinion ofthe Secretary of state, prudent having regards to

the likelihood of its generating lasting benefits for The population of the country or countries inrelation to which it is provided

DFID 2007

The bringing out of the latent capabilities (of anything); the fuller expansion (of any principle or activity)Oxford English Dictionary

A holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to Human Development – the development oflivelihoods and greater quality of life.

Anon

International Development vs.Relief

• Non- Emergency aid• Longer-term

approach • Sustainable

solutions• Oxfam’s One

Programme Approach

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Who is involved?

Who is involved?

GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONSResource mobilisation

POWER

COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATIONSMechanism of exchange

INCENTIVES

VOLUNTARTY ORGANIZATIONSMobilise Social energy

VALUES

H. Cruickshank – Development Engineering, Lecture 1 – ESD MPhil, 2009

When did it develop?

Kariba Dam, Zimbabwe

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1960’s and 70’s

Nomadic Turbine, Mongolian Steppe

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1970’s and 80’s

UN Conference, New York

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1990’s

How is it measured?

How is it measured?• Neo-classical approach: Adam Smith - An Inquiry into The Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, 1776

• Gross Domestic Income (GDI) or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – Defined as the market value of all final

goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time

– Calculated as consumption + government spending + gross investment + (imports - exports)

How is it measured?

Other indicators:• Health (Infant mortality rates, life Expectancy…

etc)

• Education (Primary education, literacy rate…etc)

• Employment..Millennium Development Goals: