Date: 2025-08-21 Page is: DBtxt003.php L0200-SN-BM-TDUD-Turning-Development-Upside-Down
Burgess Manuscript Navigation Turning Development Upside Down
REFORMS NEEDED FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROGRESS
LESSONS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
based on the author's experience over a period of more than 40 years
This manuscript was originally drafted in 2001 and has been updated many times over the years. It is about the essential reforms needed for peace and socio-economic progress in the field of international socio-economic development. It is the background to the development of TrueValueMetrics many years later.
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NAVIGATION
Turning Development Upside Down The Essential Reforms Needed for Peace and Socio-Economic Progress Updated November 2011
Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION
This chapter answers some key questions. Why is this book being written? What does the writer hopes to achieve? It is time to make changes. It is time to do things differently so that there is sustainable progress. It is time for a paradigm shift. These are important issues ... this book is a starting point.
Chapter 2. DEVELOPMENT HAS FAILED
Development has failed ... compared to what was possible, the achievements are pathetic. There are many reasons for failure ... none of them acceptable. It is time to make changes. It is time to do things differently so that there is sustainable progress. It is time for a paradigm shift. These are important issues ... this book is a starting point.
Chapter 4. THERE ARE WAYS FORWARD
There are ways forward ... not one, but many. A single silver bullet is not the right approach ... rather there needs to be a use of resources that gets the most value for the society as possible. The way forward has several main components: more meaningful development data and metrics, a focus on community scale initiatives
Chapter 5. RESOURCES ARE AN ASSET
Resources are a lot more than money and material goods. They are human resources and natural resources as well as all the variety of resources that are the economic segment of the system.
Chapter 6. INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY - ENABLING ENVIRONMENT
What is institutional capacity ... the enabling environment? It is a lot more than just governance and government, the law and regulation? It is also the infrastructure and the social services like health and education, and the financial services. Institutional capacity may be a major constraint on the socio-economic progress of the community. What is the underlying productivity of the community. If the community is surplus producing it can go forward and improve its quality of life ... otherwise it cannot. The concept is simple ... and explains the endemic economic and development failure that is pervasive on the planet.
Chapter 8. COMMUNITY FOCUS
Community is an important element in quality of life. Community is the best focus for development ... this is where people live and where quality of life matters. Community centric metrics show how effectively resources are being used, not only those from external sources, but also local resources.
Chapter 9. ORGANIZATION / ORGANIZATIONS
There are two pieces: the idea of organization, and the organizations themselve which give structure to organization. What business organizations? What financial organizations? What professional organizations? What community organizations? What faith based organizations?
Chapter 11. INFORMATION DIMENSION
There is lots of it, but it is not much use. Much of the information that is available about development has an enormously high cost, but dramatically smaller value. Value destruction at its best. Why is this information not help much in making good decisions about development. Why is so much data good for economic analysis and good material for journalists, but little use in the effective management of development resources. Where is the information to drive transparency and accountability?
Chapter 12. POWERFUL TECHNOLOGY
The sector perspective should not be ignored ... but it is rare that the performancer of a single sector will be enough to improve the performance of society and the economy as a whole.
Chapter 13. MULTI=SECTOR INITIATIVES
In most cases performance in one area of the economy will be constrained by something in another part of the economy ... and an optimized performance will only be achieved by working with ALL the sectors of the society and economy. It is rare that the performancer of a single sector will be enough to improve the performance of society and the economy as a whole. In most cases performance in one area of the economy will be constrained by something in another part of the economy.
ANNEX 2 - ABOUT PETER BURGESS
Some background about Peter Burgess, the author of this book and the creator of the TrueValueMetrics initiative and a series of prior initiatives to further the making of a better world.
Turning Development Upside Down The Essential Reforms Needed for Peace and Socio-Economic Progress Updated November 2011
Turning Development Upside Down
Essential Reforms Needed for Peace and Socio-Economic Progress
Written by Peter Burgess from 1996 to 2006 ... together with subsequent edit
Turning Development Upside Down (SUPERCEDED by new version)
Written by Peter Burgess from 1996 to 2006 ... Essential Reforms Needed for Peace and Socio-Economic Progress
