Why Some Development Works

Why do some development projects succeed where others fail? Meera Tiwari's new book, "Why Some Development Works: Understanding Success" looks at success stories and considers what enabled them to bring change in some of the world's most deprived communities. 

Using case studies from countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia, Tiwari looks at macro, and some less know micro, success stories and considers why they succeeded. Her approach draws attention to the importance of engaging local actors at an individual, collective and state level. Through this, the book demonstrates how achieving a “convergence” of goals among all actors is a crucial component to a development project’s success.

In the existing literature on development, there has been little attempt to develop a micro-level understanding of development work and Tiwari's book fills this gap. Moreover, the book has profound implications for how we view fragile states and conflict zones, and the ability of the international agencies to take effective action.

To read more about the book please follow the link below: Why Some Development Works: Understanding Success

Participants:

• Meera Tiwari, University of East London
• Adnan Khan, London School of Economics
• Diana Skelton, ATD Fourth World
• Espen Villanger, Development Learning Lab
• Bjørn Enge Bertelsen (moderator), GRIP

About the author

Meera Tiwari is an Associate Professor in Development Studies at the University of East London. Her interests and expertise include multidimensional understandings of poverty, the Sustainable Development Goals as a discourse for poverty reduction, and empowerment of the most vulnerable communities to access better opportunities in life. Her book, "Why Some Development Works: Understanding Success", draws on 10 years of fieldwork from rural Bihar, India as well as case studies from other countries like Brazil, Ethiopia, UK and Tanzania.

Join us for the "Why Some Development Works: Understanding Success" digital book launch!

The digital book launch will take place on the Zoom platform.  The link to the event will be published shortly.