Analyzing Methods to Achieve Successful Development

Abstract

While it is easy to set worldwide development goals, achieving and meeting those benchmarks is not so simple. The goal of many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) is to spread development to communities. Two months were spent in Arusha, Tanzania interviewing NGOs which complete projects in many disciplines, ranging from water and sanitation to energy and agriculture. The NGOs were asked how they define the success of a project, about challenges encountered and lessons learned, and to discuss any monitoring strategies they may have. The interviews revealed that many organizations have not established metrics of success, nor do they have well-defined procedures for evaluating their projects. This leads to a lack of focus on monitoring following the implementation of a project. However, many donor organizations and agencies have recently added monitoring and quantitative metrics of project success. The most frequently identified challenge was regarding community interaction. Community participation is a challenge for various NGOs; however, many NGOs explained that through increased community interaction success of a project amplifies. These survey results can be used as a guide for engineers interested in entering the development sector, or by those who are already involved in it.