International Development Initiatives Research Articles

Saving Lives at Birth; development of a retrospective theory of change, impact framework and prioritised metrics

BackgroundGrand Challenges for international health and development initiatives have received substantial funding to tackle unsolved problems; however, evidence of their effectiveness in achieving change is lacking. A theory of change may provide a useful tool to track progress towards desired outcomes. The Saving Lives at Birth partnership aims to address inequities in maternal-newborn survival through the provision of strategic investments for the development, testing and transition-to-scale of ground-breaking prevention and treatment approaches with the potential to leapfrog conventional healthcare approaches in low resource settings. We aimed to develop a theory of change and impact framework with prioritised metrics to map the initiative’s contribution towards overall goals, and to measure progress towards improved outcomes around the time of birth.MethodsA theory of change and impact framework was developed retrospectively, drawing on expertise across the partnership and stakeholders. This included a document and literature review, and wide consultation, with feedback from stakeholders at all stages. Possible indicators were reviewed from global maternal-newborn health-related partner initiatives, priority indicator lists, and project indicators from current innovators. These indicators were scored across five domains to prioritise those most relevant and feasible for Saving Lives at Birth. These results informed the identification of the prioritised metrics for the initiative.ResultsThe pathway to scale through Saving Lives at Birth is articulated through a theory of change and impact framework, which also highlight the roles of different actors involved in the programme.A prioritised metrics toolkit, including ten core impact indicators and five additional process indicators, complement the theory of change. The retrospective nature of this development enabled structured reflection of the program mechanics, allowing for inclusion of learning from the first four rounds of the program to inform implementation of subsequent rounds.ConclusionsWhile theories of change are more traditionally developed before program implementation, retrospective development can still be a useful exercise for multi-round programs like Saving Lives at Birth, where outputs from the development can be used to strengthen subsequent rounds. However, identifying a uniform set of prioritised metrics for use across the portfolio proved more challenging. Lessons learnt from this exercise will be relevant to the development of pathways to change across other Grand Challenges and global health platforms.

The meaning and importance of cultural construction for global development

The impetus for this Special Issue was multifaceted and informed by critiques of existing research in psychology and international development initiatives. The cultural relevance of psychology rese...

What is the evidence for the contribution of forests to poverty alleviation? A systematic map protocol

BackgroundForests provide an essential resource that support the livelihoods of an estimated 20% of the global population. Forests are thought to serve in three primary roles to support livelihoods: subsistence, safety nets, and pathways to prosperity. While we have a working understanding of how poor people depend on forests in individual sites and countries, much of this evidence is dispersed and not easily accessible. Thus, while the importance of forest ecosystems and resources to contribute to poverty alleviation has been increasingly emphasized in international policies, conservation and development initiatives and investments—the strength of evidence to support how forests can affect poverty outcomes is still unclear. This study takes a systematic mapping approach to scope, identify and describe studies that measure the effect of forest-based activities on poverty outcomes at local and regional scales. This effort builds upon an existing systematic map on linkages between conservation and human well-being in order to make this process more efficient. We will conduct a refined and updated search strategy pertinent to forests-poverty linkages to glean additional evidence from studies outside the scope of the original map. Results of this study can be used for informing conservation and development policy and practices in global forest ecosystems and highlight evidence gaps where future primary studies and systematic reviews can add value.MethodsWe build upon the search strategy outlined in McKinnon et al. (Environ Evid 1–25, 2016) and expand our search to cover a total of 7 bibliographic databases, 15 organizational websites, 8 existing systematic reviews and maps, and evidence gap maps, and solicit key informants. All searches will be conducted in English and encompass all nations. Search results will be screened at title, abstract, and full text levels, recording both the number of excluded articles and reasons for exclusion. Full text assessment will be conducted on all included article and extracted data will be reported in a narrative review that will summarize trends in the evidence, report any knowledge gaps and gluts, and provide insight for policy, practice and future research. The data from this systematic map will be made available as well, through an open access, searchable data portal and visualization tool.

Staff Capacity Development Initiatives That Support the Well-being of Indigenous Children in Their Transitions to Boarding Schools: A Systematic Scoping Review

Background Secondary education for Indigenous children from remote communities requires separation from their communities and families. As these students transition to boarding schools, they face several challenges which are additional to those faced by their non-Indigenous peers. In response, adequate academic and emotional wellbeing support needs to be provided by school and residential staff. This systematic review reports on international and Australian capacity development initiatives for education and boarding staff that support these students. Methods Five databases were searched using database specific search strings, considering peer-reviewed articles and grey literature, published between 2001 and 2016. The resultant publications were screened to identify a) their nature and quality, and b) their characteristics in terms of aims, strategies and outputs. Results 736 citations were identified; 51 full text publications met inclusion criteria for assessment. Seven publication were eligible for review. Staff capacity building initiatives encompassed a range of approaches, including training, feedback, reflective practice, mentoring, networking, and supervision. Only one publication focused specifically on the support of education staff, others were centred on improving educational, behavioural, and emotional outcomes for Indigenous boarding school students. All of the research was descriptive, with only two publications original research projects. Conclusion Despite a variety of approaches being described in brief, we found no high quality research that focused exclusively on staff capacity building approaches in the Indigenous boarding school context. That the few publications available to review were exclusively descriptive in nature highlights a clear need for well-executed evaluation research.

Trust-Funded Partnership Programmes of the World Bank under the ario

This article suggests that the variety and complexity of international partnership programmes, especially those that contract major fund flows, can be sustained only if partners are able to allocate roles and responsibilities amongst themselves. The premise of this article is simple. Lest there be any doubt, agreed terms set forth in signed agreements and adopted partnership documents should be considered ‘rules of the organization’ under the ario, and should be recognized in allocating responsibility among international organizations and other partners in international development initiatives. A practical look at trust-funded partnership programmes involving the World Bank underscores the importance of lex specialis under the Articles on the Responsibility of International Organizations, including with respect to claims by third parties. At stake is the viability of such collaborative international development initiatives, which rests on the ability of partners to legitimately set their own terms for acknowledgment by others.

スポーツを通じた国際協力事業の類型化

スポーツを通じた国際協力事業の類型化

The personal value of being part of a Tropical Health Education Trust (THET) links programme to develop a palliative care degree programme in Sub Saharan Africa: a descriptive study of the views of volunteer UK health care professionals.

BackgroundThere is a global need to expand palliative care services to reach the increasing number requiring end of life care. In developing countries where the incidences of cancer are rising there is an urgent need to develop the palliative care workforce. This paper reports on a UK Department for international development (DFID) initiative funded through the Tropical Health Education Trust (THET) where palliative care staff, both clinical and academic, volunteered to help to develop, support and deliver a degree in palliative care in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of the study was to explore the personal impact on the health care professionals of being part of this initiative.MethodsAn evaluation approach using a confidential electronic survey containing quantitative and qualitative questions was distributed to all 17 volunteers on the programme, three months after completion of the first cohort. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content thematic analysis. Ethical review deemed the study to be service evaluation.Results82 % (14) responded and several themes emerged from the data including the positive impact on teaching and educational skills; clinical practice and finally personal development. Using a score of 1–10 (1-no impact, 10 maximum impact) ‘Lifestyle choices - life work balance’ (rating 7.83) had the most impact.ConclusionsThis approach to supporting the development of palliative care in Sub-Saharan Africa through skill sharing in supporting the delivery of a degree programme in palliative care was successful in terms of delivery of the degree programme, material development and mentorship of local staff. Additionally, this study shows it provided a range of positive impacts on the volunteer health care professionals from the UK. Professional impacts including increased management skills, and being better prepared to undertake a senior role. However it is the personal impact including lifestyle choices which the volunteers reported as the highest impact. Interestingly, several of the faculty have joined other volunteer programmes to continue to support the international development of palliative care.

Mobilizing Diaspora Entrepreneurship for International Development Initiatives

A Diaspora is a large group of people with a similar heritage or homeland who have since moved out to places all over the world. It can also refer to the movement of the population from its original homeland. The study of Diasporas provides a useful frame for reimagining locations, movements, identities, and social formations. Diasporas are in a unique position to have a positive effect on the economy of their countries of origin if policymakers there seize the opportunities. Despite the advantages that these entrepreneurs bring, many developing countries have met only limited success in attracting them. Countries with governments that still require aspiring entrepreneurs to follow complex procedures, countries at war, or those experiencing internal conflict and social upheaval remain unattractive to all but the most intrepid Diaspora private investors and business people. This paper primarily aims to give an insight into the nature of Diaspora entrepreneurship. Also, it suggests the framework of mechanism through which donors and international development agencies can constructively promote its developmental impact. Three examples of venture capital and partnership organizations have been quoted. Secondary data have been used in this presentation and nature of analysis is descriptive. The paper concludes that governments, multilateral institutions, Diaspora organizations, and other civil society groups can help Diaspora entrepreneurs to tap the resources they need and clear obstacles to realizing their ventures and accelerating economic growth. Peace, stability, and construction of basic infrastructure are prerequisites for substantial Diaspora investment, as they are for so many other development processes.

Korean sport for international development initiatives: exploring new research avenues

AbstractThe use of sport to promote social development and economic growth has been studied by Korean scholars focusing on the domestic effects of mega sport events or of ‘sport for all’ initiatives. Meanwhile, the concept of ‘sport for development’ (SFD) in English-language sport studies literature nowadays tends to focus on the use of sport as a strategy to foster international development, wherein sport initiatives are funded and facilitated by industrialized nations to support the socioeconomic growth of developing economies. However, Korean sport scholars examining initiatives similar to SFD practices focus on the benefits of SFD for South Korea with regard to sport diplomacy and have yet to further enhance our understanding of these programmes’ role in advancing international development and relations through theoretically informed critical analysis. In this article, we review Korean research on the contribution of sport to domestic social and economic development as well as sport diplomacy research...

Socio-cultural factors, gender roles and religious ideologies contributing to Caesarian-section refusal in Nigeria.

BackgroundThe death of women from pregnancy-related causes is a serious challenge that international development initiatives, including the Millennium Development Goals, have been trying to redress for decades. The majority of these pregnancy-related deaths occur in developing countries especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. The provision of Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC), including Caesarean section (CS) has been identified as one of the key ingredients necessary for the reduction of high maternal mortality ratios. However, it appears that creating access to EmOC facilities is not all that is required to reduce maternal mortality: socio-cultural issues in Sub-Saharan countries including Nigeria seem to deter women from accepting CS. This study seeks to explore some of the socio-cultural concerns that reinforce delays and non-acceptance of CS in a Nigerian community.MethodsThis is a mixed method study that combined both qualitative and quantitative strategies of enquiry. The hospital’s delivery records from 2006–2010 provided data for quantitative analysis. This quantitative data was supplemented with prospective data collected during one month. Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions (FGD) and informal observations served as the sources of data on the qualitative end.ResultsIn total, 22 % of maternity clients refused CS and more than 90 % of the CSs in the focal hospital were emergencies which may indicate late arrival at the hospital after seeking assistance elsewhere. The qualitative analysis reveals that socio-cultural meanings informed by gender and religious ideologies, the relational consequences of having a C-section, and the role of alternative providers are some key factors which influence when, where and whether women will accept C-section or not.ConclusionThere is need to find means of facilitating necessary CS by addressing the prevailing socio-cultural norms and expectations that hinder its acceptance. Engaging and guiding alternative providers (traditional birth attendants and faith healers) who wield much power in their communities, will be important to minimize delays and improve cultural acceptability of CS.

Thin vs. Thick Morality Ethics and Gender in International Development Programs

This study examines the ethical dimensions of gender-focused international development initiatives undertaken by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and similar agencies. Specifically, it presents three case studies that depict how specific development initiatives in, respectively, India, Tanzania, and Senegal address gender disparities and power relationships. These case studies support the general conclusion that ethically committed development NGOs find difficulty in encouraging women (and men) to reverse oppressive power status-quos in messy contexts.

English in rural Bangladesh

English's elevated status within a global economy of languages means that English-language education is increasingly promoted in international development initiatives in countries such as Bangladesh. This is partly due to a growing conviction that English is able to play an important role in helping people participate in global economic markets from which they have previously been excluded (Seargeant & Erling, 2011). Despite the strong associations made between English-language ability and development, there is at present only limited evidence showing a causal relationship between the two (Erling, forthcoming), while a complex of other issues surrounding the cultural politics of the language also play a role in the social implications of its promotion in such contexts. The aim of this article is to examine how English is perceived in rural Bangladesh by the people at whom such international development programmes are targeted. A broad assumption of such programmes is that English is a positive and, in some sense, necessary resource for development. The article investigates whether this matches the perception of those at whom such projects are aimed, and what it is that these communities feel the language can offer both in practical and in socio-cultural terms for the developmental challenges they face. In order to examine these questions the article draws on results from an ethnographical survey of two rural areas in Bangladesh which investigated the attitudes and aspirations of local community members to the potential impact of English-language education on their social prospects and cultural identities.

Measuring relational and intrapersonal empowerment: testing instrument validity in a former soviet country with a secular muslim culture.

Research and evaluation studies measuring the construct of empowerment within international community development and human rights initiatives are rare due to a lack of validated measures appropriate for the cultural context. This study represents an initial effort to develop and test the Brief Azerbaijani Empowerment Scale (BAES), an instrument designed to assess relational and intrapersonal components of psychological empowerment among adult community residents (n = 350) in Azerbaijan, a former Soviet country with a predominantly Muslim culture. Exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the underlying dimensionality of the BAES, and path analysis was used to examine relationships between subscales of the BAES and a set of conceptually relevant variables (i.e., alienation, sense of community, and involvement in community organizations). Findings supported the reliability and validity of the BAES, which may be useful to future efforts to develop more comprehensive measures of intrapersonal and relational empowerment. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Voices in the Wind

This ethnodrama critically examines conceptualizations of women’s empowerment in international development initiatives. It represents a collection of experience-based narratives from six Malian women who participated in a photovoice project centered on women’s empowerment in the specific context of microfinance. Deviating from normative neoliberal financially-based assumptions underlying the relationship between microfinance and women’s empowerment, wherein the prevailing belief is that increases in economic resources necessarily lead to increases in women’s empowerment, this article suggests that empowerment is a complex multi-dimensional construct that includes, yet extends beyond, the financial paradigm. This one act ethnodrama is intended as a form of talking back to the academic literature and Western discourses surrounding empowerment. It draws inspiration from Chandra Talpade Mohanty’s transnational feminist framework, particularly the concept of history from below, by creating spaces for the women in this project to have their voices heard and to be included in global practices of history-making.

Dividing the Labor of Development: Education and Participation in Rural Tanzania

Since the 1940s, the concept of community participation has framed, mobilized, and legitimated national development agendas in the Singida Region of rural central Tanzania. Based on 19 months of ethnographic and archival research, this study examines the forms of community participation elicited through state and international development initiatives aimed at achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Building on theorizations of “trusteeship” as an organizing principle of development, this article highlights the way in which educational credentials configure the distribution of roles, responsibilities, and rewards of participatory development initiatives. I argue that, despite the equalizing claims of participation, the trusteeship phenomenon legitimates a radically asymmetrical distribution of labor and authority. Through schooling's symbolic and cultural work, the educated become the mind and voice of development, while the lesser educated become its hands.

Australian Medical Students’ Association Global Health Essay Competition — Global climate change, geo‐engineering and human health

Rio+20's proposed Sustainable Development Goals have the potential to redefine the course of international action on climate change. They recognise that environmental health is inextricably linked with human health, and that environmental sustainability is of paramount importance in safeguarding global health. Competition entrants were asked to discuss ways of making global health a central component of international sustainable development initiatives and environmental policy, using one or two concrete examples

What Future for the Global Aid for Trade Initiative? Towards a Fair Assessment of its Achievements and Limitations

The global Aid for Trade/AfT Initiative was inspired by the Doha Round of WTO negotiations. It involved specific aid commitments as well as a broad agreement on categories of AfT, and principles of delivery (outlined by a WTO Task Force in 2006). The WTO and the OECD were tasked with monitoring this form of aid and supporting the various donors and partners. As with any international development initiative, the limitations to the AfT Initiative are clear. Overall funding remains modest, the categories are very broad and the statistics are often queried. Yet recent efforts to dismiss the Initiative as a failure are overstated. The monitoring system was based on best-practice techniques of governance in a diverse non-hierarchical institutional environment, such as the international development community. This form of cooperation cannot be expected to overcome global political and economic asymmetries, but it can be effective in several respects. Starting from this realistic perspective, one notes several achievements. In particular, the Initiative has led to increased funding for AfT and kick-started a range of initiatives and technical advances. Also the monitoring process evolved and expanded to include, and give voice to, a range of new actors from the global community. Alternative proposals for operationalizing AfT, such as creating a multilateral fund, are not to be dismissed but it is incumbent on the proposers to outline this plan in more detail. While the future of the AfT initiative, in its current form, is uncertain, its achievements merit careful consideration.

Modelling the interaction of tourism and international development

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the theoretical frameworks of the interaction of tourism and international development; this study also provides a critical evaluation of the effectiveness of international development initiatives and poverty reduction, using the Nicaraguan case. The evaluation incorporates aspects related to the millennium development goals (MDGs) and the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs) initiatives. By using data analysis techniques, we evaluated the ratio between investment in the tourism industry and economic growth in the period 1995–2010. From this analysis, a predictive model has been developed. Tourism represents one of the main sources of income for many developing countries. We argue that tourism pro–poor must be integrated within national development strategies and should be present in international economic development and poverty reduction.

Imagining Development: Religious Studies in the Context of International Economic Development

Though studies which treat the role of religion in international economic development (IED) initiatives are on the rise, little attention has been paid to the ways in which development programs may affect religion. A religiously engaged analysis of development reveals the religious histories upon which IED is predicated, and also the ways in which experiences with development may affect religious identities and perceptions, particularly in the case of an Ecuadorian Catholic women's development cooperative.

Organizational Interventions concerning Palliation in Community Palliative Care Services: A Literature Study

Background. Studies indicate problems between different professional groups working with palliative care and the organisation of palliative home care at nursing homes. The purpose of this study is to examine international experiences and cooperative development initiatives regarding the organisation of community palliative care services. Method. The study has been carried out as a literature study based on bibliographic searches in international databases with selected key words. Results and Conclusion. The study of the literature identified 19 studies described in 20 articles that relate to development efforts and interventions regarding the organisation of palliative care in communities. Nearly, all of the studies were based on health care professionals' assessments of users (the relatives). However, it is unknown whether or how patients and relatives experience a positive effect of the interventions. The literature study shows that it is a great methodological challenge to complete and evaluate studies concerning organisation and cooperation using methods that make the results useful for others.