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Measuring results in development. DPRN thematic meeting report 2006

Document number
2037
Date
2006
Title
Measuring results in development. DPRN thematic meeting report 2006
Author/publisher
Development Policy Review Network (DPRN), Interchurch Organisation for Development Co-operation (ICCO)
Availability
View/save PDF version of this document
Document type(s)
Meeting Documentation/Conference Reports,
Keywords
Economy in transition, Youth employment, State socialism, Socio-Economic transition, Discrimination, Unemployment, Poverty, Community development, Social security, Social exclusion, Health care, Drugs abuse, Health, HIV/AIDS, Globalisation;
Summary

The 2006 thematic meeting on ‘Measuring results in development’ again deals with a topical issue. In current development practice, ‘results’ are crucial. Funding agencies, the Dutch parliament and the media expect more transparency as regards the output, effects and impact of ‘all those millions spent on development’. Measuring results has also become a major issue in other policy domains, such as health care and education. However, measuring results is controversial in policy circles and scientific circles alike. The questions are what can be measured and how? At what levels? With what confidence? And within what timeframes? Does the emphasis on results not create an enormous bureaucracy? Does an emphasis on result measurement mask the importance of the processes actually resulting in  development? Recent reports examine these issues from different perspectives. The 2006 DPRN thematic meeting was meant to discuss and weigh the various viewpoints. The meeting started with a series of short introductions on various reports (read: viewpoints) dealing with result measurement in international cooperation. These reports were brought together and made available in advance on the DPRN website (http://www.DPRN.nl under ‘Publications’). The introductions were followed by five working groups which generated more in-depth discussion of the various viewpoints (see Appendix 1 for the full programme). This report presents a summary of presentations and the debate.

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