How is the concept of development defined, conceptualised, configured, and operationalised within International Development Financed (IDF) projects

Abstract

This paper uses primary data from a large-scale cross-sectional study to provide evidence on how the concept of development is defined, conceptualised, configured and operationalised so as to achieve the intended IDF project outcomes. Theoretical constructs and measures were developed drawing from both Activity theory and Distributed Leadership Theory to help understand the concept of development from the interactions of multiple actors at local, national, regional and even global within integrated transboundary landscapes and seascape. Findings indicate that in addition to development to be perceived by global actors as international development, local community define development from its contribution towards achievement of other multiple outcomes and bring scalable impacts to people, nature and economy. National government they define development from its contribution towards increased Growth Domestic Product (GDP) and Per Capital Income. Regional platforms defined development from its role it plays within transboundary landscapes and seascapes as development corridors. We use GDP as benchmarking for growth and the square multiple correlations to assess the integrated transboundary approaches as predictors of IDF outcomes. Following statistical analysis with support of structural equation model (SEM), the review of the square multiple correlations indicated that the predictors of IDF explain 9.8 percent of its variance. In other words, the error variance of IDF is approximately 90.2 percent of the variance of IDF itself. The study policy and practical implications of the measures on equality, equity, fairness, inclusivity, inequities, rights and responsibility and limitations for future studies are discussed. Practically, it confirms that, when integrated transboundary approaches are used as specified distributed practices or collective practices, they are significant for framing and increasing the descriptive, discursive and explanatory power of the concept of development when defining, conceptualising, configuring and operationalising IDF activities within integrated transboundary landscapes and seascape.

Keywords: {'name': 'International Development Financed Projects, Strategic Management and Leadership, Distributed Leadership Practices, Projects Leadership Teams, Integrated transboundary Landscapes and\xa0 Seascapes'}

Authors & affiliations

Edward Gerald Ndilanha
Centre for Research on Organisational Development & Learning, Evin School of Management, Tanzania

Jan Erik Jaensson
Affiliation not supplied

Raphael Gwahula
Affiliation not supplied

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