Field Of Development Cooperation Research Articles

국제개발협력 분야 기술사업화 프로젝트의 성공 저해 요인과 결합적 인과 영향: KOICA 혁신적기술프로그램(CTS)을 중심으로

Purpose: This study examines the factors and factor combinations that impede the success of Creative Technology Solution (CTS) projects, a recently introduced development cooperation approach in Korea that prioritizes science and technology innovation and private sector involvement in the field of development cooperation. Originality: This study pioneers the examination of technology commercialization cases in development cooperation, an area unexplored by both technology entrepreneurship and development cooperation academics. It goes beyond identifying individual factors to analyze conjunctural causal effects of multiple factors impeding project success. It also provides practical implications on which factors to address first for CTS project success. Methodology: A total of 23 CTS project end-of-project evaluation reports were subjected to qualitative content analysis (QCA) in order to identify the factors that impede the success of CTS projects. Furthermore, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA) was employed to examine the ways in which combinations of factors impede project success. Result: The analysis identified four main impeding factors: inadequate preliminary research, inadequate project design, inadequate implementing organisation capacity, and inadequate stakeholder cooperation and communication. Of these, the two most significant factors impeding the success of CTS projects are poor preliminary research and poor project design. When these two factors co-occur, the likelihood of project failure is high, even in the absence of any particular issue with the capacity of the implementing organisation and stakeholder cooperation and communication. Conclusion and Implication: In order to enhance the probability of success for CTS projects, it is imperative to reinforce the preliminary research and project design, as these have been identified as the main impeding factors.

평가 활용의 메커니즘과 이해관계자의 역할

Purpose: This study aims to provide a theoretical foundation and practical examples to enhance evaluation use among various stakeholders by exploring the mechanisms of evaluation use in international development cooperation through the Theory of Change (ToC). Originality: By developing a ToC specifically for development cooperation evaluation, this research advances the discourse on evaluation use. It establishes a foundational basis for theoretical discussions on diverse evaluation applications and identifies the roles of various stakeholders. Methodology: The study begins with a comprehensive literature review to define the concept and various types of evaluation use. It then conducts a comparative analysis of evaluation logic models from previous studies to extract common elements and create a tailored ToC for evaluations in international development cooperation. Finally, stakeholder analysis is used to categorize evaluation stakeholders. We apply the developed ToC to identify the roles of each stakeholder in different evaluation contexts. Result: By applying an extended definition of evaluation use, this study developed a ToC for international development cooperation evaluation, identifying essential elements for change and critical assumptions throughout the evaluation process. Through the analysis of evaluation stakeholders categorized into key, primary, and secondary groups based on their influence within the ToC framework, the study reveals that stakeholders at all levels can utilize evaluations for diverse purposes across the entire evaluation process. Conclusion and Implication: This study systematically identified the diverse roles of stakeholders and the mechanisms of evaluation use in the field of development cooperation, integrating ToC and stakeholder analysis. It provides a comprehensive understanding of who uses evaluations, for what purposes, when, and how. Ultimately, this research is expected to enhance evaluation practices and use, thereby contributing to the achievement of the intended objectives of evaluations.

Can System of Rice Intensification Boost Smallholders’ Rice Production in Rainfed, Lowland Areas of Tanzania?

Based on challenges identified and approaches proposed, the paper builds a case for boosting rice production in rain[1]fed lowland areas of Tanzania. The proposed initiative is designed as an action in the field of development cooperation. Despite its complex nature, the initiative aims at an intensification of the prevailing rice production system in rainfed areas, whereby improving the availability of suitable rice seeds and adopting elements from systems of rice intensifica[1]tion (SRI) are proposed as the main agronomic components, which shall be supported by respective research. Further elements to be considered are the management of land and water in these rainfed areas, which are seasonally used for rice production, while the rest of the year they remain fallow, as well as the economics of the production system, which at present is critical and may remain a stumbling block for intensification, also due to the threat from more competitive local production in irrigated areas and cheap imports.

Taking the power shift seriously: China and the transformation of power relations in development cooperation

ABSTRACT It is widely agreed that recent decades have witnessed a power shift towards the emerging economies. Yet the magnitude of the power shift and its implications for the global economic order are much contested. For some, the diffusion of power has been changing the power relations between the global North and global South as well as within the global South. For others, the emerging economies do not pose a significant challenge to the global North’s dominance in the global political economy as the latter continues to hold structural power advantages in technology, finance, and institutional capacity. This paper contributes to this debate by analysing the changing power relations in the field of development cooperation. As shown by recent work, Chinese development finance, combining a massive scale, global reach, and distinctive modalities, has reshaped the global landscape of development finance. This paper offers an interpretation of this transformation with a focus on power relations. It argues that Chinese development finance has not only decreased the ability of Western development finance institutions to influence policy agendas and preferences in the developing world, but also eroded the latter’s power to shape the governance, norms, and modalities of development cooperation.

“It makes the buzz” – putting the demographic dividend under scrutiny

Abstract. We contribute to this theme issue on “(Re)Thinking population geography” with a critical engagement with the concept of the demographic dividend (DD). We put the DD – a concept based on interactions between demography, development and policy making – under scrutiny and investigate in particular whether a demographization of politics, a criticism concerning political decision-making based on a reductionist use of demographic data, as described by Barlösius (2007) and Schultz (2019), is happening. Our findings, based on literature analysis and interviews with experts working in the field of development cooperation, policy advocacy and demographic research, show that simplistic demographic explanations for economic growth are appealing to political leaders and advocacy groups. In the context of the DD, demographization is being strategically used by advisors and scientists to convince and engage decision makers at all administrative levels in order to promote voluntary family planning, multi-sectoral development policies and human rights. Our research suggests that the well-established and widely used paradigm of the DD might be a prominent example of what we call positive demographization. At the same time, particularly when it comes to the politicization of the female body through demographic intervention, the concept of the DD remains potentially prone to politically motivated interpretation and use.

A multidisciplinary approach for the physic-chemical characterization of peloids to new perspectives in the development for “hydrothermal Developing Countries” using partecipatory methodology

The Osservatorio Termale Permanente (OTP) operated from 1996 to 2014 in the Italian and international therapeutic thermalism field. The main aim of OTP was the development of a multidisciplinary approach for the characterization of the quality of peloids for cutaneous application and their maturation process using different qualitative and quantitative analytic techniques opening at the Integrated Analytical Approach in the field of therapeutic thermalism. The main innovation introduced by OTP were rheology and surface tensiometry applications on peloids. The introduction of surface tensiometry included the skin as a fundamental element for the development of mud therapy protocols based on the bioadhesive properties of peloids. The interfacial investigations between peloids and skin led to the characterization of the exchange activity occurring during pelotherapy on the cutaneous surface in a non-invasive and fast way. On these bases, our work linked each other the multidisciplinarity approach to the study of hydrothermal resources performed by OTP with the concept of the participative methodology commonly applied to the development of projects in the field of development cooperation. This combined approach led us to develop a scientific proposal for the development of therapeutic thermalism in countries not yet improved in this field and characterized by the presence of hydrothermal resources. Keywords: peloid, surface tensiometry, Rossi factor, rheology, Rheological Termal Mud, skin, integrated analytical approach, participative methodology, therapeutical thermal proposal, hydrothermal development countries

China's Humanitarian Aid and Efforts to Engage in International Humanitarian Assistance

With the emergence of non-traditional donors in development cooperation, there have been debates on the expected roles of non-traditional donors among the policymakers and scholars in the field of development cooperation. Among them, China has gained attention because of its rising power and influence in global economics and politics. This article aims to facilitate the understanding of international humanitarian assistance and to identify the overview of China’s humanitarian assistance in terms of backgrounds, trends, and size. It can be possible to identify the priorities of its humanitarian assistance and to predict the ways for cooperation with international society. Still, criticisms have been raised in China’s humanitarian assistance with Chinese characters, covering the foreign aid policy of China. However, the international society welcomes the efforts of China to engage in the common efforts of humanitarian assistance and expects more coordination and harmonization of humanitarian assistance. By the strong support of the UN and OECD, the harmonized efforts for the collective outcomes and innovative financing for humanitarian assistance have been emphasized. Analyzing the features of China’s humanitarian aid, this article concludes with the suggestions and the recommendations as follows. As a responsible rising power, it is highly expected for the Chinese government to actively engage in international humanitarian assistance in accordance with the agreed guidelines of international society. In line with its own strategic preparedness in the establishment of the Chinese International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) and emphasis on international cooperation, this article suggests more coordinated efforts, especially in the form of trilateral cooperation in the end.

How do Andalusian NGDOs Address Sexual and Female Reproductive Rights? Centrality, Approaches and Located Practices.

Currently we see that the approach to female sexual and reproductive rights in the field of development cooperation is experiencing a double tension: on the one hand, cooperation agents, especially Non-Governmental Development Organizations (NGDOs) have prioritized their attention over this theme, in the measure in which efforts have been redoubled to prevent, reduce and eradicate the effects of gender inequalities in different areas. On the other hand, there is a clear setback in the exercise and enjoyment of these types of rights worldwide. A possible explanatory hypothesis for this tension is that the different ways of conceptualizing female Sexual and Reproductive Rights condition the situated practices of organizations insofar as they significantly affect their reason for being and their organizational nature. That is why the objective of this work is to investigate how female sexual and reproductive rights are configured and condition the reason for being, the nature and the situated practice of NGDOs. For this, a case study is carried out, the object of which was the development cooperation system in Andalusia. A combination of quantitative - qualitative methodologies was used, although in this work we are going to prioritize the results derived from the structural and dialectical techniques as they are especially significant. This work shows that Andalusian NGDOs move between a tension marked by a proactive interest in this type of rights and a structural deficit of competences to be able to manage them effectively.

G20 rising powers’ status seeking through social creativity: The case of South-South development cooperation

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore how rising powers who are also donors within the G20 strive to achieve a positively distinctive identity in the field of development cooperation through status-seeking strategies. The article employs Social Identity Theory (SIT) to critically examine and understand the increasing importance of South-South cooperation in the foreign policies of the nine selected G20 rising donors (namely China, Russia, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa, Turkey, Mexico, India and Argentina). For this purpose, it will first explain why status matters for rising powers. Second, it will present the linkage between status-seeking policies of states and state identity. Third, it exposes social creativity as a driver of state behaviour. And fourth, it focuses on G20 rising powers’ quest for status through social creativity with a particular focus on South-South development cooperation.

Does Gender Mean Women in International Development? Focusing on the Bureaucratization of the Gender Discourse

연구목적: 이 글은 다양한 페미니스트 학자들의 선행연구에 기반 하여 국제개발 규범에서 젠더의 개념이 확산되어 성주류화라는 개념으로까지 발전되어 온 상황에서, 젠더와 여성이라는 용어가 명확한 구분 없이 함께 쓰이고 있는데 대한 문제의식에서 출발하였다. 이 글은 국제개발 규범에서 ‘젠더’가 ‘여성’과 등치되는 현상에 대해 의문을 제기하고, 성평등 달성을 위한 성주류화 전략 속에 젠더 개념이 얼마나 적용되었고 실천되고 있는지 분석하고자 하였다. 연구의 중요성: 국제개발 규범과 현장에서 젠더와 개발 담론이 어떻게 적용되고 있는지에 대해 SDGs 지표와 CIDA 등 국제개발 현장의 현실을 통해 분석함으로서 젠더와 여성이라는 언어가 어떻게 정치적으로 혹은 실용적으로 사용되고 있는지 보여주고 있다. 연구방법론: 국제개발 규범으로 대표적인 MDGs와 SDGs의 성평등 목표와 관련 지표에 대해 젠더관점에서 분석하고, 국제개발 현장의 사례를 보여주기 위해 캐나다와 한국의 사례를 분석하였다. 연구결과: 국제개발 규범과 양자기구 문헌을 분석한 결과 성주류화가 확산되는 과정에서 젠더의 개념이 기술관료제화 되었고, SDGs 젠더통합적 목표의 지표들은 젠더의 개념보다는 여성이라는 접근으로 구성되어 있다는 점, 한국을 비롯한 해외 국제개발의 현장에서도 젠더라는 용어는 정치적 저항이나 일반인과 소통의 어려움 등의 이유로 여성이라는 언어로 사용되고 있다는 점을 확인하였다. 결론 및 시사점: 국제개발에 있어서 젠더는 기술관료제화 된 여성이라는 언어로 대체되고 있는데, 이는 단기간에 성과를 측정해야하는 정부의 압박과 궁극적으로는 젠더 관계 변화에 대한 저항 등의 원인이 있었다는 점을 상기해야 한다. SDGs가 내걸고 있는 젠더 통합적 목표들이 전환적인(transformative) 변화를 가져올 수 있기 위해서는 젠더 개념을 기술관료적 개념이 아닌 젠더권력 구조 안에서 이해하고 실천에 옮길 때 가능해질 것이다.Purpose: This paper aims to review how discourses on gender have evolved in the midst of transformation from MDGs to SDGs and how gender has been reflected in international development norms. Moving from MDGs to SDGs, feminists have raised their voice to point out gender issues that are missing in MDGs and have demanded that SDGs include fundamental agenda required to achieve gender equality. In international development, gender discourses have developed from WID to GAD from the 1970s through to the mid-1990s. How deeply these discourses are reflected in and embraced by MDGs and SDGs is the main question, because it has been witnessed that the terminology has gone back to “women” instead of “gender.” Originality: It shows how the language of gender and women is being used politically or practically. Methodology: In the international development norms, gender equality goals and related indicators of representative MDGs and SDGs were analyzed from the gender perspective, and case studies of Canada and Korea were analyzed to show cases of international development. Result: The first part of the paper illustrates how gender discourses have evolved in the field of development cooperation, focusing on WID, GAD, and gender mainstreaming. In the second part, the paper highlights the difference between the norms and the actual practice of gender mainstreaming strategies. Next, it analyzes how WID and GAD discourses have been embedded in MDGs and SDGs, along with their limitations. The last section looks into the meaning of “gender mainstreaming” and women and girls’ empowerment in the actual practice of development projects and gender mainstreaming strategic tasks that are required to achieve gender equality goals within the frame of SDGs. Conclusion and Implication: Finally, it attempts to draw attention to two points. The first is the concept that gender in development cooperation has been de-politicized to name a biological woman in contrast to the one that the feminists used. The second point is how the gender-integrated goals of the SDGs can bring about a transformative change; this is possible when the gender concept is understood and practiced in a gendered power structure rather than in a technical bureaucratic concept.

SDGs, Foreign Ministries and the Art of Partnering with the Private Sector

AbstractGovernment policies supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and sustainability criteria, as well as commercial goals, aim at an enabling multi‐actor environment. However, they do not prevent friction, lack of mutual understanding and cultural clashes with the private sector. We argue that this relational issue is a considerable and relatively neglected concern, albeit readily recognized by practitioners, and is potentially obstructing the achievement of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. It also deserves more scholarly attention. In articulating and discussing public–private relations, in this exploratory project we point to a theoretical challenge that touches on the ontological and epistemological core of international studies. Apart from analysing relevant literatures, we have benefited from varied data collection with input from policy makers, diplomats, business representatives and consulted experts across cultures. Our starting point is that public–private partnerships that are necessary to reach the targets of the UN's 2030 Agenda pose a test for ministries of foreign affairs (MFAs). These new kinds of SDG partnerships differ from early 21st‐century public–private partnerships (PPPs) in the field of development cooperation. Leaving aside risk factors facing companies in our research, we identify three main SDG partnership puzzles for government.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis as an Evaluation Tool: Lessons From an Application in Development Cooperation

Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is gaining ground in evaluation circles, but the number of applications is still limited. In this article, we consider the challenges that can emerge during a QCA evaluation by drawing on our experience of conducting one in the field of development cooperation. For each stage of the evaluation process, we systematically discuss the challenges we encountered and suggest solutions on how these can be addressed. We believe that sharing this kind of lessons learned can help evaluators become more familiar with QCA, shedding light on what it is to be expected when considering the application of QCA for an evaluation, at the same time reducing unfounded fears and promoting awareness of traps and requirements. The article can be insightful and potentially inspirational for both commissioners and evaluators.

Terms in context: A corpus-based analysis of the terminology of the European Union's development cooperation policy

This paper is concerned with the terminology the European Union (EU) has created and used with regard to its development cooperation policy during its existence. The idea of fostering the development of less privileged countries by means of preferential trade agreements and financial aid was already incorporated in the Treaty of Rome in 1957, making development cooperation one of the Union's oldest policy areas. Both the concrete concepts and the respec- tive terms applied have been subject to continuous change, the more so as they were strongly influenced by the political and economic situation at the time. The purpose of the paper is to illustrate how tools and techniques developed in corpus linguistics can assist terminologists in compiling terminological information. It presents some of the results of a detailed diachronic study of the English terminology of the EU's development cooperation policy, aiming to describe the conceptual and terminological changes in this field over time. The analysis is based on a corpus of EU texts and supported by linguistic software, viz. WordSmith Tools. The generation of key words and word clusters is complemented by the establishment of terminological domains, which represents a helpful way of structuring the terms, thus facilitating the identification of the main topics of the underlying texts. The use of corpora in terminology opens up the possibility to gather both conceptual and linguistic as well as usage information about the terminological units. It also allows the analysis of concordances that can help to reveal ideological aspects of the terminology involved. The findings may contribute to the knowledge and understanding of European development cooperation among professionals in European and national bodies as well as scholars and teachers in the field of development cooperation.

Recasting the ‘New Actors in Development’ Research Agenda

The rising prominence of new state and non-state actors in development cooperation has stimulated extensive discussion over the last decade. This article reviews and critically reflects on the present and future directions of this body of scholarship. It questions the homogeneity of actor constellations, relationships and ideas as they are currently conceptualised. The article argues for the importance of adopting more analytically and conceptually diverse approaches to study the interaction between heterogeneous development actors and homogenising forces, recognising the complexity and (dis)continuities of stability and change in the field of development cooperation.

Methodological approach and tools for systems thinking in health systems research: technical assistants' support of health administration reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo as an application.

In the field of development cooperation, interest in systems thinking and complex systems theories as a methodological approach is increasingly recognised. And so it is in health systems research, which informs health development aid interventions. However, practical applications remain scarce to date. The objective of this article is to contribute to the body of knowledge by presenting the tools inspired by systems thinking and complexity theories and methodological lessons learned from their application. These tools were used in a case study. Detailed results of this study are in process for publication in additional articles. Applying a complexity 'lens', the subject of the case study is the role of long-term international technical assistance in supporting health administration reform at the provincial level in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Methods section presents the guiding principles of systems thinking and complex systems, their relevance and implication for the subject under study, and the existing tools associated with those theories which inspired us in the design of the data collection and analysis process. The tools and their application processes are presented in the results section, and followed in the discussion section by the critical analysis of their innovative potential and emergent challenges. The overall methodology provides a coherent whole, each tool bringing a different and complementary perspective on the system.

Performance Management in the Third Sector: A Literature-Based Analysis of Terms and Definitions

This paper contributes to the rather young field of research on performance management in the third sector, by providing a unique overview of current terms and definitions used in both research and professional practice. In current performance management literature, no attention is given to the fact that key terms are used inconsistently and even somewhat contradictorily. We follow the assumption that ambiguous terminology prevents further development of the topic and hampers both practitioners and academics. Therefore, we stress the importance of standardized definitions and terminology as well as present an approach to address the issue of how performance management should be understood in the third sector. The chosen concept is the one promoted by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD/DAC). This concept is applied for two reasons: first, the OECD/DAC already has endeavored to unify terms and definitions in the field of development cooperation since its foundation in the 1960s; second, these terms and definitions are already widely used due to its large membership base. By adopting the OECD/DAC approach, this paper aims at a more unified use of third sector performance concepts in both research and practice.

Die Kontrolle nicht-beherrschter Räume: Widersprüche neoliberaler Globalisierung und die Rolle der Entwicklungspolitik

The Control of Non-Dominated Spaces: Contradictions of Neoliberal Globalization and the Role of Development Politics. Globalization implies the increasing transnational interconnectivity of individuals, civil society groups and firms, as well as government and intergovernmental representatives. This has led to the growing density of transnational social relations and to changes of spatial, temporal and cognitive relations. In this emerging global society, security, in all its dimensions, depends on collective rules and their implementation. There is, however, neither an overarching authority nor a system of cooperating isomorphic democratic regimes. Due to uneven and non-simultaneous development in different parts of the world, political regimes differ considerably concerning their adherence to global norms and in their degree of domination over their territories. Neoliberal globalization has increased social, economic and political exclusion. Growing material inequality has not only favoured an expansion of the informal sector, but also an increase in transnational criminal activities (e.g. the drug trade and smuggling goods, weapons and human beings) and the transnational organization of violent groups. Since the late 1990s it has been recognized in the field of development cooperation that „security“ cannot be reached through a combination of trade-led economic growth policies and the repression of illegal activities; rather, it depends on supporting social inclusion through poverty-reducing policies of empowerment. The dimensions of social security and „security“ through the use of force are seen as complimentary by many state actors in this field, but criticized by civil society organizations. This article concludes by pointing out that the goal of establishing a global order to strengthen the physical as well as the social security of humans has to be distinguished from imperialist interventions. It argues that violent interventions in other societies are bound to fail because they intervene into societal conflicts which are based on historical and cultural preconditions which cannot be easily linked to Western-based concepts and because they are still often linked to the geopolitical interests of the interveners.

Lógicas de espacialização missionária e agendas da cooperação internacional: uma perspectiva multissituada a partir de ações junto aos povos indígenas

Resumo O artigo discute processos de espacialização de missões religiosas de origem protestante ecumênica que atuam junto aos índios, entendendo-os como parte dos mecanismos contemporâneos de formação do Estado e de gestão de territórios e populações. Busca complexificar as interpretações sobre a relação das missões com mecanismos coloniais e pós-coloniais de dominação, explorando a pluralidade de motivações, de formação de alianças e de sentidos veiculados por elas em diferentes espaços geográficos e períodos de tempo. Para isso, examina quatro casos, na Coreia do Sul, Noruega, Argentina e Brasil, analisando os nexos das missões com redes locais e transnacionais de apoio, notadamente no campo do desenvolvimento, dialogando com as discussões metodológicas na antropologia sobre as etnografias multissituadas.

Theory of change e valutazione ex post: il caso studio di un progetto sull'integrazione dei Rom in Macedonia

The article aims to be a methodological contribution to promote the debate on the ex-post evaluation in the field of development cooperation. The authors present the case study of ex-post evaluation of the project Macedonia, Cities of Stip and Prilep: Improving the quality of life of Roma and promoting integration, financed by the Italian Cooperation and implemented by a non-governmental organization (NGO). The project was carried out from 2004 to 2007. The evaluation, realised in 2013 by the authors of this article, has used the instrument of the Theory of Change, which is currently not so widespread in Italy. The methodology has allowed to formulate a comprehensive assessment of the project despite there were some significant limits: i) the intervention did not have a specific plan of ex-post evaluation; ii) the project had ended seven years before the assessment with a consequent loss of historical memory concerning the original design and its implementation, as well as the presence of other factors that have influenced the impact of the initiative itself.

A critical friend: Monitoring and evaluation systems, development cooperation and local government. The case of Tuscany

The role of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems in the field of development cooperation has globally increased in last decades. International and regional organizations, as well as states, local governments and NGOs have largely adopted the tools provided by M&E in order to enhance transparency, effectiveness and efficiency. The paper aims at verifying how and to what extent the implementation of M&E systems has affected the overall quality of international cooperation projects financed by a local government. After a literature review on M&E in development cooperation, the research analyzes the wide range of activities (evaluation ex-ante, mid-term, final, monitoring, consultancy) carried out by the Evaluation Team of the XY in the last eight years in behalf of an Italian local government: the Region of Tuscany. The paper reveals the strategic significance of adopting M&E systems in the medium-long term.