|
Glossary of terms for Development Management
I
Note: Within each definition, terms for which there are definitions elsewhere are highlighted.
Implementing agencies
see Service
agency; Self-help
organisations
Indicators
Indicators are qualified/quantified
parameters which detail the extent to which objectives (goal,
purpose and output) have been achieved within a given time
frame and in a specified location. They represent performance standards
and should be objectively verifiable (empirically observable, quantified
and concrete) - hence the term objectively verifiable indicators (OVIs)
- by all persons involved in monitoring and evaluation.
When different persons, who may be involved in monitoring the progress
of a project or evaluating the achievements of project objectives, use
OVIs for measuring reality, they should arrive at the same conclusions.
Indicators are specified for what, who, how, how many, where when, and
may be of different types (e.g. direct, indirect/ proxy, impact indicators).
Information
see Data
and information
Input costs
Inputs are items which
are bought from other enterprises (e.g. fertiliser for crop production
or grain for milling), and are transformed during a production process.
In projects and programmes the term is synonymous with budget (for personnel,
equipment, operations).
see also
Gross margin calculation,
Investment costs,
Factor costs
Inputs
see Resources
Institutions
Agencies or mechanisms
for regulating socio-economic processes.
see also Institutional
development.
Institutional
analysis
Analysis of an institution
/ institutions (which may include organisations) as distinct
from organisational analysis which, using a task and systems approach
looks at the effectiveness and efficiency of organisations (singly
or in a network). For example an institutional analysis could look at
the set-up established by midwives to effect health care of pregnant and
new mothers in a sub-region; this would include organisations (church
women's group) and institutions - as social mechanisms (extended family
care systems) and as agencies (the local government clinic).
See also Organisational
analysis
Institutional
development
Institutional development
involves improvement of the overall institutional system (including regulation
mechanisms like legislation, market systems etc.). Institutional and organisational
development represent complementary measures in the context of
problem/task- and target group/user-oriented planning of interventions.
Institution building alone is insufficient, as the "trickle down" from
promoted agencies and organisations to envisaged beneficiaries seldom,
if ever, takes place. In development it is a socio-political approach.
see also Organisational
development
Intervener
A professional engaged
in planning/designing/directing/facilitating/executing a development
intervention. Interventions in the lives of the people concerned, by an
external force need to be approached with responsibility and awareness.
Ideally an intervener (1) attends, observes, and selectively shares observations
of what s/he sees, hears, feels, establishing her/his presence in doing
so and (2) focuses on energy in the system with regard to the emergence
or lack of themes (common figures) for which there is energy, and to support
the mobilisation of energy so that something happens. Ideally then the
intervener assumes a marginal role, s/he is attached to the system but
not a part of it. The marginal role enables the intervener to make 'clean'
observations and interventions (this means not taking things for granted,
not making assumptions, clarifying in an unbiased way, attending to what
is reflected in oneself). S/he assumes the stance of a stranger in a foreign
land - no matter how familiar the client system may appear.
Other non-facilitating
tasks of an intervener in a development setting are: (1)
to co-ordinate between various role-players, (2) to be innovative in supporting
the emergence of locally adjusted designs the dissemination of which s/he
fosters, (3) to mediate between different interest groups and (4) to advocate
for the alleviation of poverty.
Intervention strategy
In the development
sense, the intervention strategy refers to the plan of action or policy
of an agency (e.g. development project or -programme) for entering
into a situation in order to stimulate events to bring about positive
change (development), or prevent a deterioration of a problem situation.
Technically this is contained in the first column of the project planning
matrix (PPM) and consists of statements of goal, purpose,
outputs and activities.
Investment
Investment is expenditure
for the purchase and the production of goods which are not for consumption
(real "capital goods"). Beyond the purchase of means of production in
the strict sense, this includes expenditure for all objects intended for
commercial use (e.g. property, residence). Investment goods are only those
used for a large number of production processes in the long term (longer
than one year) and thus increase the stock of means of production, i.e.
are not used entirely for product (such as flour for bread).
Investment
costs
The costs related
to land, buildings, machinery and equipment as far as they are meant to
be used for many production processes or periods (i.e. for more than one
year at least).
see also
Gross margin calculation,
Input costs,
Factor costs, Depreciation
|
