From Maneuver Warfare To Maneuver Welfare

[Surferbeetle]

From FP, Development in the 21st Century, The prepared text of U.S. of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's speech, delivered to the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C., JANUARY 6, 2010

One approach is that of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which focuses on countries that have met rigorous criteria, from upholding political rights and the rule of law to controlling inflation and investing in girls' education. Under MCC compacts, we provide funding and technical support; the country provides the plan and leads the way toward achieving it. Early indications of the program are promising. We're using our resources to help countries cultivate their ability to build their own future.

This approach points to the difference between aid and investment. Through aid, we supply what is needed to the people who need it -- be it sacks of rice, cartons of medicines, or millions of dollars to fill a budget shortfall. But through investment, we seek to break the cycle of dependence that aid can create by helping countries build their own institutions and their own capacity to deliver essential services. Aid chases need; investment chases opportunity.

This is not to say that the United States is abandoning aid. It is still a vital tool, especially as an emergency response. But through strategic investments in programs like the Millennium Challenge Corporation, we hope to one day put ourselves out of the aid business, because countries will no longer need this kind of help.

Jeffrey Sachs in his book The End of Poverty has a "Checklist for Making a Differential Diagnosis" on page 84 that might be of interest. Here are the headings for the checklist

1. Poverty Trap
2. Economic Policy Framework
3. Fiscal Framework and Fiscal Trap
4. Physical Geography
5. Governance Patterns and Failures
6. Cultural Barriers
7. Geopolitics

Here is a longer version of the checklist which is covered in depth in his book.

The engineering approach gives us:

Given (Gather all facts, references, and assumptions and detail/state them up front)
Find (Define the problem to be solved)
Solution (Show all work taken to solve the problem)

Check your Work
Peer Review

Cost Estimate (uses a Work Breakdown Structure)
Schedule
Design
QA/QC