Practicing Development: Upending Assumptions for Positive Change

Practicing Development bridges the gap between academia and the world of practice to address challenges and propose concrete steps toward more equitable, effective, and sustainable development. The authors draw from their on-the-ground experiences as they discuss what "development" is, how to attain it, and what their findings mean for the funding and practice of development efforts. Often challenging conventional wisdom, they provide a range of concrete examples of innovation, responsiveness, and sustainability―and perhaps most important, explore how practitioners might be better educated to achieve positive change.CONTENTS:Practicing Development―S.H. Holcombe and M. Howard.Good Intentions and the Reality of Development Practice―S.H. Holcombe and M. Howard.What Does Lasting Development Look Like?―M. Howard.REFLECTING ON DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE.The Journey from Practice to Learning―L. Simon.On Learning and Practicing Development―V. Ariyaratne.The Business of Aid―T. DichterCourage Is the Cornerstone of Progress―P. Awuah.Environmentally Conscious Development―T. Agardy.Reimagining Development Practice―R. Offenheiser.TURNING DEVELOPMENT AROUND.Empathy: A Missing Link―C.V. Donaldson.Devolution: An Opportunity for Sustainable Development―E. Kamau.Collective Action and Happy Accidents: Lessons from a Central Mexico Watershed―A. Madrigal Bulnes et al.African NGOs: Potential to Make Sustainable Change―E. Odembo.National Execution: China's Approach to Local Development―L. Lu.Global Frameworks: Using International Law and Civic Action―F.R. Howard and R. Newball.From Local to Global: Four Microcases―P. Gupta et al.PREPARING DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONERS.Drawing Lessons from Reflection and Practice―S.H. Holcombe and M. Howard.Educating Development Practitioners for Positive Change―M. Howard and S.H. Holcombe.