Articles

Previous research has revealed that social policy design is relevant for addressing social problems, particularly for reducing poverty. However, evidence on poverty reduction exposes a sluggish trend towards achieving its main goals. This paper first reports on research examining to what extent social policy design has addressed social problems, poverty in particular. Second, this paper examines whether poverty lines have linked social policy design and social problems. Finally, this paper reveals that social policy design does not address poverty reduction and that poverty lines have not linked policy design and poverty reduction.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.696091

 

Development investigations focus on synergies of institutional cultures for policy and practice. International non-governmental organisations (INGOs) currently enjoy a privileged position as harbingers of world culture unity. While there is contestation on INGOs as monolithic entities, few studies delve into the voices of actors within INGOs to provide for a more pluralistic perspective. This paper separates the actors from their institution by examining their different socio-cultural takes that drive them. This emphasises that as projects and visions come and go, institutional actors draw on their own philosophy that does not necessarily mirror their institution's stance. Here, the focus is on one of the most important current development initiatives – microfinance – revealing individual understandings of what is sustainability, the role of external actors, indicators of success, exit strategies, and ethical action. In spite of situating this in the microfinance area, what is revealed is that actors are motivated by their own constructed ideology, often alluding peripherally to the specifics of microfinance. This opens another avenue of enquiry as to why organisational ideologies and popular development visions such as microfinance take on such diversity of forms and outcomes. Contrary to the world culture unity model, such communication disjunctures can be useful in understanding diverse development outcomes.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.696583

 

Microfinance has been evolving as an indispensable tool of poverty eradication and rural improvement. At present, almost all the commercial banks have delved into the microfinance foray and offer various lucrative schemes designed for the rural poor, specifically, to carry out their own small economic activities. This paper attempts to study the extent to which the commercial banks are participating in the microfinance business. An empirical study has been carried out in the state of Punjab. The objective is to analyse the nature and extent of microfinance services provided by the banks in the rural areas of Punjab. The study also highlights the bankers' perceptions of microfinance.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.696092

 

Seed fairs were being promoted in Zimbabwe as an alternative seed distribution approach to sustain local input markets. Using data from ICRISAT monitoring surveys of 2005–06 and records maintained by non-governmental organisations, this article reveals that seed fairs were more cost effective in distributing local seed compared to direct distribution of imported seed. The article found that, in order to supply one household with a seed pack, it will cost an agency US$5.18 through seed fair compared to US$8.22 through direct seed distribution. Vouchers redeemable in retail shops are proposed as an incentive for local shops to stock and distribute agricultural inputs.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.696580

 

This paper compares the economic effects of two organisational forms of the coffee supply chain (cooperative and private processors) in Rwanda and assesses quantitatively which form has benefited producers the most. The paper uses panel data from 148 coffee-producing households. Results based on a combination of the instrumental variable method and first differencing show that there is no indication that farmers who sell to cooperative factories get more benefits than farmers selling to private processing plants.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.697127

 

Home and field office staff disagreement often impedes international development NGOs (INGOs) from making their accountability systems more responsive to partner and community concerns. Drawing on a staff survey, and qualitative interviews across four country programmes, of a major INGO, three interlocking explanations for this disagreement are suggested: that staff perceive accountability practices differently because they place greater interpretive weight on practices most relevant to their own organisational roles; that divergent views reflect substantively different normative beliefs about accountability; and that differing assessments of accountability practices reflect a strategic misrepresentation of field country experiences as a rational response to power differentials.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.696093

 

 

 

Debt-for-development exchanges are one technique through which to address the ongoing debt crisis in the less-developed world. This paper discusses how Australia's first debt-for-development exchange, with Indonesia, came into being, and explores future possibilities for Australian debt exchanges. It is an interesting example of how activists and advocates can successfully pursue innovative public policy solutions to development problems. More importantly, however, this paper explores the link between debt accumulation in less-developed countries and trade policies of industrialised countries like Australia.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.696582

 

This article shares the approach and experiences of a joint immersion of two organisations in Tanzania. Immersions have a profound effect on individuals and strongly stimulate individual learning. Wishing to go beyond that, an immersion was designed with the aim of also contributing to organisational learning. With an increasingly complex and dynamic situation, organisational approaches and strategies need to closely fit within the local context. Immersions are good tools for development practitioners to appreciate this context and form an important part of the organisational learning demanded from development organisations.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.696579

 

This article describes a holistic approach to organisational development that promotes learning and its integration into everyday work practice. It presents the approach and how it leads to genuine organisational transformation, increased organisational efficiency, and resilience during change. When an organisation is both willing and able to engage with a holistic approach, the results are significantly better than any that external one-off interventions or standalone training programmes can produce.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.696581

 

In this article, we challenge the notion that complex and resilient problems – such as global warming and poverty – will have to be resolved by governments or responsible corporations. Instead, we argue for the potency of social initiatives promoted by communities of engaged people. A variety of experiences from around the world, and especially from Brazilians with their “Why not?” temperament, suggest characteristics of the origin, development, and diffusion of these initiatives. We conclude that social initiatives, by addressing local problems of a global nature, using networks connected across communities, may be the greatest hope for this troubled world.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.696585