Frameworks for Characterizing Development Challenges

Having gained an introductory understanding of development challenges, it's time to equip yourself with practical tools that can enhance your characterization process. By delving into various frameworks and models, you will gain valuable insights into the intricate dynamics and underlying factors involved. So, let's now shift our focus to exploring the frameworks and models that will guide us in effectively characterizing development challenges.

📺 Watch the UNTCAD video on development challenges to learn about four major categories of development challenges faced by least-developed countries.

❓ The video sheds light on four significant categories of development challenges that loom large over the least developed countries.

As you watched the video, what aspect of the video resonated most with you? Did you consider the intricate interplay of factors influencing the challenges mentioned? In other words, how do the different challenges interact with each other to make it more difficult for least developed countries to develop?  Share your answers here.

It is important to note that there are many different frameworks and models that can be used to characterize development challenges. Some of the most common frameworks include:

  • Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • Human Development Index (HDI)
  • Capability Approach
  • Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)
  • Theory of Change (ToC)
  • Social-Ecological Systems (SES) Framework

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The SDGs serve as a comprehensive and ambitious development framework established by the United Nations in 2015 to address a wide range of global challenges and promote sustainable development on a global scale. Encompassing 17 interconnected goals and 169 targets, the SDGs provide a roadmap for countries, organizations, and stakeholders to collaborate in tackling pressing issues facing humanity while also aiming to create a more just, equitable, and environmentally balanced world by 2030.

📺 Watch the UNICEF animation below for an introductory overview of the 17 sustainable development goals.

The SDGs cover a broad spectrum of issues, ranging from poverty eradication and quality education to gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, climate action, and more. Each goal is interconnected with the others, reflecting the understanding that progress in one area often depends on progress in others. For instance, achieving gender equality (Goal 5) can have positive impacts on health (Goal 3), education (Goal 4), and economic growth (Goal 8).

The SDGs, however are not without challenges. Critics of the SDGs often highlight challenges related to implementation, financing, and monitoring. Achieving the SDGs requires significant resources, innovative approaches, and systemic changes. Moreover, tracking progress on such a diverse set of goals and targets demands robust data collection, analysis, and reporting mechanisms.

You will learn more about this framework in the next lesson.

Human Development Index (HDI)

The HDI is a composite index that measures human development. The HDI is used to track progress on development challenges and to identify countries that need assistance. It takes into account factors such as life expectancy, education, and income to provide a holistic perspective on development challenges and progress.

📺 Watch this explainer video on the human development index for more insight.

From the video, we learn that the human development index was designed to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of development beyond just economic growth. HDI evaluates the following dimensions:

  • Health: Life expectancy at birth is a crucial factor in determining a country's well-being. A nation with high life expectancy reflects a population that enjoys better healthcare, sanitation, and quality of life.
  • Education: Education empowers individuals and societies alike. HDI factors in both the average years of schooling for adults aged 25 and older, as well as the expected years of schooling for children entering the education system.
  • Standard of Living: Gross National Income (GNI) per capita is considered to gauge the standard of living. This reflects the economic capacity of individuals within a nation.

The HDI serves as more than a development framework, it's a catalyst for progress. As the global community strives to combat challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the HDI highlights the urgency to bridge gaps in health, education, and living standards. A more equitable world hinges on raising the HDI of lower-ranking nations.

🪞 Reflection question: From the video, what were the top-ranking countries in terms of HDI values (based on the 2020 Human Development report)? On the other hand, can you also mention the 3 bottom-ranking countries?

  • What do you think is a major cause of the disparity between the top and bottom-ranking countries? Post your responses in the padlet below.

Capability Approach

Developed by economist Amartya Sen, the Capability Approach focuses on people's capabilities and freedoms to lead lives they value. It emphasizes assessing development challenges based on the opportunities and choices available to individuals, rather than solely focusing on income or material aspects.

📺 Watch the Oxford Conversations with Sabina Alkire about the capability approach and its importance.

In the video, Sabina Alkire, the Director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), discusses the capability approach, which was developed by Amartya Sen. The capability approach views well-being as a function of the freedoms that people have to achieve what they value, rather than simply the amount of money they have or the goods they own.

The video also highlights the importance of the capability approach for policy making. Alkire argues that the capability approach can help policymakers to identify the real causes of poverty (a major development challenge in Africa)  and to develop policies that will help people to achieve their full potential.

❓ Reflection: How might the capability approach reshape the way we address complex challenges such as poverty and development, particularly in regions like Africa?

Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)

PRA is a participatory approach that involves engaging local communities in analyzing their own development challenges. It emphasizes the active involvement of community members in identifying and prioritizing issues using techniques such as mapping, focus group discussions, and participatory decision-making processes.

The participatory rural approach is often described as a collection of methods that involve learning and planning within a group. It uses various techniques to explore a problem from many different viewpoints.

📖 Read pages 203 - 206 of Julia Preece’s article on Participatory Rural Appraisal: Lessons for Countries in the North? for more insight on the PRA process.

Theory of Change (ToC)

The Theory of Change (ToC) is a framework that outlines the steps and causal relationships between activities, outputs, outcomes, and impacts of a development intervention. It helps to map out the pathways through which development challenges can be addressed and the expected changes that will result.

📺 Learn more about the ToC framework by watching the video below.

In the video, Chris talks about how a Theory of Change (ToC) is a way to map out how an organization or program intends to achieve its goals. It is a visual representation of the organization's logic model, which shows the causal relationships between the organization's activities, outputs, outcomes, and impacts.

Chris explains that a ToC can be used to:

  • Communicate the organization's goals and strategies to stakeholders: A ToC can help to ensure that everyone involved in the organization or program is on the same page about what the organization is trying to achieve and how it plans to achieve it.
  • Plan and evaluate programs: A ToC can be used to help organizations plan their programs and to evaluate their effectiveness.
  • Improve the organization's performance: A ToC can help organizations to identify areas where they can improve their performance and to make changes to their programs accordingly.

In the video, Chris also discusses the different elements of a ToC, such as the problem, the goal, the strategies, the outputs, the outcomes, and the impacts. He also talks about how to create a ToC and how to use it to improve an organization's performance.

🪞 Reflection Question: How can the Theory of Change framework be used to identify the root causes of a complex problem that you are interested in? For example, let’s say you are interested in tackling the problem of youth unemployment in your community, how would you apply the theory of change in identifying the root causes of the problem?

Social-Ecological Systems (SES) Framework

The SES framework focuses on understanding the complex interactions between social systems and ecological systems. It recognizes that development challenges are influenced by the interplay of social, economic, and environmental factors and provides a holistic lens to analyze and address them.

The SES framework can be used to understand the complex challenges facing development by providing a way to:

  • Identify the key drivers of change in these systems.
  • Understand the feedback loops that connect these drivers.
  • Assess the potential impacts of these changes on human well-being and environmental sustainability.

The social-ecological systems framework is a powerful tool for understanding and addressing the complex challenges facing development. It is a valuable framework for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers who are working to create a more sustainable future.

Here are some examples of how the SES framework has been used in development:

  • The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) used the SES framework to assess the state of the world's ecosystems and their contribution to human well-being.
  • The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) uses the SES framework to assess the impacts of climate change on human and natural systems.
  • The REDD+ program uses the SES framework to promote sustainable forest management in developing countries.

(REDD' stands for 'Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. The '+' stands for additional forest-related activities that protect the climate, namely sustainable management of forests and the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks).

These frameworks and models offer different lenses and methodologies to characterize and analyze development challenges. They provide structured frameworks to guide research, policy-making, and intervention design.

Among the above-listed frameworks, the SDGs stand out for their inclusive and interconnected approach to addressing the multifaceted complexities of development. The 17 goals and their associated targets collectively encompass a wide range of social, economic, and environmental dimensions, underscoring the significance of a holistic perspective in understanding development challenges.

Also, the widespread recognition and adoption of the SDGs by nations, international organizations, and civil society emphasize their practical utility. This shared commitment transforms the SDGs into a universal language for discussing development, facilitating cross-border collaboration and fostering a collective drive towards global betterment.

In essence, by focusing on the SDGs within this course, you will be equipped with an analytical tool that transcends academic boundaries. This tool will not only help you dissect complex development challenges but also empower you to engage in meaningful conversations and actions that have a tangible impact on a global scale.

Next week, we will delve deeper into the SDGs.

❓ Discussion Activity:  To facilitate collaborative thinking, engage with your peers on Padlet and share your thoughts on which frameworks resonate with you the most and why. How can these frameworks be adapted to suit specific contexts?

Respond to at least two peers' comments, providing constructive feedback and expanding on their viewpoints.