ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at development projects; the primary way in which development assistance finds its way to the grass roots. The World Bank's project development cycle divides framing, managing, and assessing projects into six stages: identification; preparation; appraisal; negotiation and presentation; implementation and supervision; and evaluation. Two quite different approaches or planning styles exist, one directive, and the other interactive. The directive approach is seductive. It presents the image of a controlled and logical approach, likely to be particularly attractive to risk-averse funders. Project development is a good example of what Donald Schon has termed "reflective practice"—a process of gradual, interactive problem solving, where techniques are applied, the results are assessed, and the learning gained is applied to subsequent actions. Successful project development requires stakeholders to do two main things: to learn as they go, both about their surroundings and about each other; and to manage their interactions successfully.
