Instead of “is this project doing way better than nearly all others” (yes), or “will it certifiably make a tangible difference in people’s lives who would otherwise be struggling for survival” (yes it will save lives) the authors (instead of learning) put the burden of proof on others to prove to them that the MVP will answer every single development problem the world is coming up against.

There is an inherent tension here, the informed world doesn’t have time to babystep everyone who won’t learn on there own through the most basic arguments. Wish we all did, but in the interim, to help you criticize development projects that you don’t have time to learn about might I suggest Owen Barder’s blog.

Here, we have a one size fits all model for criticizing development projects making it easier to criticize without making any serious effort to understand the projects.

I spotted at least 3 of your criticisms here, can you find more?! Analytically weak.

http://www.owen.org/blog/2903

The blog post is called “The universal cynics’ answer to why your aid project won’t work”

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6381579023

{RED} to me is a conventional business donating to charity model, which I’ve read has spent more promoting itself that it’s earned. It could be a vehicle for collaboration, ie RED providing a marketplace for social purpose products, but that kind of collaboration doesn’t happen too much in the world of nonprofits, which to me frankly, are often more competitive than business.

I’d like to see a little less emphasis and branding and celebrity and more effort to embrace organisations making a difference in their own way. As I’ve said recently on the Skoll forum, the way in which some foundations embrace each other leaves the impression of attempting to penetrate a freemasons ring.

Jeff

We’ll look some more at microfinance and business-focussed development systems in a few weeks. What do you say, though, to Sachs’ argument that for a society to benefit from trade – either through conventional businesses or community-focussed ones like you describe – a certain base level of government investment is needed first, and that’s what aid should focus on?

Also, what do you make of (RED), another alternative business model concerned with development?

Thanks!