Rethinking Development Management Methodology: Towards a “Process Freedoms Approach”

Abstract

Despite the change in development thinking towards a multidimensional concept of human development, the fact is that this paradigm shift has not found its parallel evolution in the practice of development planning, monitoring and evaluation. Logic model-based methods, such as results-based management and project-cycle management, are still prevalent independently of the scale or instruments used on development. This paper critically assesses how the capability approach challenges current development management methodologies, based on the results of three case studies constructed as a participant observer under an action-research perspective. Building on Sen's concepts of principles and process freedoms, and on Alkire's core objectives of human development—real freedoms, process freedoms, plural principles and sustainability—we present the possible foundations of an alternative methodology for development interventions, a “Process Freedoms Approach”, aimed at better mainstreaming the capability approach within development policies, programmes and projects.

Keywords::

• Development planning
• Development management
• Learning process approach
• Participation
• Empowerment
• Capability approach
• Process freedoms

Acknowledgements

This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dr José María Ferrero Corral.

This paper is the result of several discussions about previous versions presented at 2005, 2006 and 2007 Human Development and Capabilities Association Annual Conferences. We are grateful for all comments received, especially to the two anonymous reviewers, the Editors and David A. Clark. The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its Member States.

About the Authors

Gabriel Ferrero y de Loma-Osorio holds a PhD on Development Planning and Management from the Technological University of Valencia, Spain, at which he served as a full-time professor of development projects and management for 10 years. He combines several years of field experience—in Central and South America, south Saharan Africa and the Maghreb—with senior positions as Director of the Development Cooperation Centre at the Technological University of Valencia (2004–2006) and Deputy Director has been Senior Policy Advisor at the United Nations One Secretariat for the Post-2015 Development Agenda since 2012, and since 2011, has also been part of the Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Food Security and Nutrition. As Deputy Director General of Development Policies, Planning and Aid Effectiveness on the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (2007–2011), he chaired the participatory process conducting to the approval of the 2009–2012 Spanish Development Cooperation Master Plan—of which was lead author—and its subsequent annual plans (2009 to 2011), sectoral strategies and development effectiveness methodologies. He has a PhD in Development Planning and Management from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain, where he served as full time Professor of Development Projects and Management for 10 years, and was also Director of the Development Cooperation Centre (2004–2006). He has field experience in Central and South America, South Saharan Africa and the Maghreb.

Carlos S. Zepeda is a PhD candidate researcher at the Politics and International Studies Department, University of Warwick, UK. Former Political Advocacy Officer for Oxfam (2007–2010), his professional work has focused on the challenges of implementing human rights and sustainable development in practice in the face of free trade agreements in Central America. He holds an MA in Politics of Alternative Development, Institute of Social Studies, the Netherlands (2006); a Postgraduate Dip. in Development Cooperation, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain (2004); and a Bachelor in Economics, Central American University (UCA), El Salvador (2003), where he also taught and published several articles on economics.

Notes

1. “An intended impact contributing to physical, financial, institutional, social, environmental or other benefits to a society, community or group of people via one or more development interventions”, as defined by the OECD.

2. For example, scales include the community, local, subnational, national or global levels.

3. See Guijt (2004) for a comprehensive review of Accountability, Learning and Planning System application.

4. Avoid essentialism; combine case studies with different grades of success on using the methods; include local actors and intermediate managers in the evaluation; compare real and ideal cases; make different evaluations for different versions of the method; and evaluate with a learning approach.

5. However, CA scholars here have found significant ground to debate on this issue—for example, see the divergent positions of Clark (2005) versus that of Crocker (1995).

6. We have successfully used PLA methods for constructing participatory-based multidimensional indicators similar to the Multidimensional Poverty Index (Alkire and Foster 2011), at the community and local levels (Ferrero et al. 2013).