What do you think?
Rate this book
Navigating Complexity in International Development: Facilitating sustainable change at scale
International development interventions often fail because development experts assume that our world is linear and straightforward when in reality it is complex, highly dynamic and unpredictable. Things rarely happen in the way that they were planned. The dominance of logical planning models in international development therefore needs to be challenged and replaced by a complexity-based understanding of how change happens.
Navigating Complexity in International Development describes three such processes. Firstly it explores processes of ‘participatory systemic inquiry’ which allow complexity to be collectively seen and understood by stakeholders. Then it outlines two approaches to ‘engagement’: the more structured approach of ‘systemic action research’ and the more organic processes of ‘nurtured emergent development’.
The design and process of each are described clearly, allowing readers to utilize and quickly adapt the ideas to their own situations. They are illustrated through detailed case studies which range from water resource management in Uganda, to agriculture transformation in Egypt and Kenya, to education of girls in Afghanistan, and community responses to conflict in Myanmar. Each builds a detailed picture of how local people and practitioners were able to respond to complexity. The final section looks at issues of power, participation and policy that arise in emergent development processes.
This book is essential reading for planners, practitioners, policy-makers, students, and researchers in international development.
‘Burns and Worsley bring an acute understanding of the practitioner’s art and science of development. Intangibles like participation, learning, and network development are at the core of ownership and appropriate action for social change for the poor. Navigating Complexity in International Development unlocks the analysis and dialogue needed to impact sustainable large-scale change. An important contribution for all of us working at the front end of development.’
Steve Hollingworth, President and CEO, Freedom from Hunger
‘This book makes an important case for engaging complex systems, and contributes theory and practice for those researching and intervening to improve the conditions of the poor. It challenges current linear development thinking and offers new methods to effectively engage complexity. Its reflective case studies give rise to a new hope that, with the right approach, development can do better.’
Frank Rijsberman, CEO, CGIAR consortium
‘The timely message of the book then is that we must adopt a collaborative systems orientation anchored in the realities of human participation when dealing with the complexity inherent in international change endeavours.’
Hilary Bradbury, Professor, Division of Management, Oregon Health and Science University, and Editor, Action Research
‘This book presents powerful and persuasive case-based evidence to show how systemic change can be achieved at scale.’
Robert Chambers, Research Associate and Professor Emeritus, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex
Navigating Complexity in International Development describes three such processes. Firstly it explores processes of ‘participatory systemic inquiry’ which allow complexity to be collectively seen and understood by stakeholders. Then it outlines two approaches to ‘engagement’: the more structured approach of ‘systemic action research’ and the more organic processes of ‘nurtured emergent development’.
The design and process of each are described clearly, allowing readers to utilize and quickly adapt the ideas to their own situations. They are illustrated through detailed case studies which range from water resource management in Uganda, to agriculture transformation in Egypt and Kenya, to education of girls in Afghanistan, and community responses to conflict in Myanmar. Each builds a detailed picture of how local people and practitioners were able to respond to complexity. The final section looks at issues of power, participation and policy that arise in emergent development processes.
This book is essential reading for planners, practitioners, policy-makers, students, and researchers in international development.
‘Burns and Worsley bring an acute understanding of the practitioner’s art and science of development. Intangibles like participation, learning, and network development are at the core of ownership and appropriate action for social change for the poor. Navigating Complexity in International Development unlocks the analysis and dialogue needed to impact sustainable large-scale change. An important contribution for all of us working at the front end of development.’
Steve Hollingworth, President and CEO, Freedom from Hunger
‘This book makes an important case for engaging complex systems, and contributes theory and practice for those researching and intervening to improve the conditions of the poor. It challenges current linear development thinking and offers new methods to effectively engage complexity. Its reflective case studies give rise to a new hope that, with the right approach, development can do better.’
Frank Rijsberman, CEO, CGIAR consortium
‘The timely message of the book then is that we must adopt a collaborative systems orientation anchored in the realities of human participation when dealing with the complexity inherent in international change endeavours.’
Hilary Bradbury, Professor, Division of Management, Oregon Health and Science University, and Editor, Action Research
‘This book presents powerful and persuasive case-based evidence to show how systemic change can be achieved at scale.’
Robert Chambers, Research Associate and Professor Emeritus, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex
- GenresNonfiction
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 31, 2015
5 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 24, 2016
How can we embrace complexity of social systems, and in the same time pursue sustainable change? This great book offers a solution and a number of case studies. I find it very useful and great addition to my toolkit.
First three chapters look at the failures of large-scale planning models to effectively engage complexity. Next chapter look at two ways of seeing systems and complexity -- stories-based and mapping-based participatory systemic inquiry. It provides both general description/approach and case studies. Following two chapters make a step from analysis to action, discussing Systemic Action Research, and Nurtured Emergent Development process. Power and participation in emergent development are discussed next. The book concludes with five summary points worth to be quoted:
1. Don't treat political issues as technical issues
2. Don't act for people; act with them!
3. Don't make plans; never stop planning
4. Prioritize sustainable change over financial accountability
5. Scale up -- don't roll out
First three chapters look at the failures of large-scale planning models to effectively engage complexity. Next chapter look at two ways of seeing systems and complexity -- stories-based and mapping-based participatory systemic inquiry. It provides both general description/approach and case studies. Following two chapters make a step from analysis to action, discussing Systemic Action Research, and Nurtured Emergent Development process. Power and participation in emergent development are discussed next. The book concludes with five summary points worth to be quoted:
1. Don't treat political issues as technical issues
2. Don't act for people; act with them!
3. Don't make plans; never stop planning
4. Prioritize sustainable change over financial accountability
5. Scale up -- don't roll out
Displaying 1 of 1 review