Challenges in the Development Field
The development sector comprises a complex web of actors, including international organizations, government departments, large international charities, and social movements, all working together to combat the root causes of poverty and inequality. Despite the generous nature of the field, it still faces several challenges. One of them is that despite the critical nature of this work, a significant challenge persists: researchers from the Global South are frequently under-represented in development research. Secondly, corruption being faced by development institutions. Thirdly, political instability hinders the implementation of development projects and initiatives.
Firstly, regarding the underrepresentation of the Global South in the development world, most studies on economic development are led by researchers based in the Global North, even when the focus is on a country or region in the Global South. A recent study conducted by an unnamed organization found that just 16% of 24,894 articles published in 20 high-profile development journals between 1990 and 2019 were authored by researchers based in the Global South, compared with 73% authored by researchers in the Global North and 11% that were collaborations between researchers in the North and South (Amarante et al., 2022).
The shortage of quantitative experts in many of the Global South’s countries, such as Indonesia, poses another major challenge to the field. In many cases, social science and natural science disciplines are not well integrated, making it difficult for social scientists to acquire the quantitative skills they need to conduct research. A personal experience of mine illustrates this challenge. In my research lab at the University of Indonesia, individuals capable of using quantitative methodologies, such as machine learning and social network analysis, are typically in the computer science field, and there are none in the social sciences field. This creates a challenge in conducting quantitative research in political psychology as the social science experts lack quantitative skills, while the computer scientists may not be knowledgeable about the social science context and methodologies of political psychology research. Due to this hindrance, Indonesian social scientists struggle with completing quantitative analysis on time, as they must rely on external technical help, which is time consuming and produces uncontrollable delays to the research process.
To address this issue, social science researchers in the Global South need access to education and resources in quantitative methodologies to enable them to conduct quantitative research independently. Overall, increased representation of researchers from the Global South, particularly in quantitative fields, will result in a more diverse and inclusive development research field, contributing to more comprehensive and effective development initiatives.
The current problem is that academics from the Global South are underrepresented in quantitative research domains, which might restrict the diversity and inclusivity of development research programs. It is vital to educate and equip social science researchers from the Global South with the tools they need to perform independent quantitative research in order to address this problem.
Secondly is regarding the issue of corruption. Corruption can happen in the sphere of development at many different points, from the distribution of funding through the execution of projects. When money is given to development initiatives, for instance, corruption may emerge when authorities divert the funds for their own benefit instead of using them as planned. As a result, the development attempts may fail due to poorly executed projects, insufficient services, and poor infrastructure.
Transparency, accountability, and good governance must be prioritized in order to combat corruption in the development sector. The creation of efficient supervision systems, the strengthening of legislative frameworks, and the encouragement of public participation and civic engagement are just a few ways to do this. Supporting the growth of an ethical culture inside organizations and highlighting the significance of honesty, justice, and accountability in all facets of development work are also crucial. The creation of these systems must utilize advanced quantitative methodologies in order to keep up with the input the development sector is taking on a global scale.
Thirdly, is regarding the issue of political instability. Political unrest can have a big impact on development since it can cause doubt, scarcity of resources, and delays in implementation. Political instability can manifest itself in a variety of ways, including civil unrest, coups d’états, and changes in the status quo of the administration. For instance, the persistent political instability in Yemen led the World Bank to halt its development efforts there in 2011. The country’s development prospects were significantly impacted by the suspension of these programs, which restricted access to crucial money and assistance for efforts aimed at reducing poverty and spurring economic growth.
Therefore, it is crucial to place a high priority on stability, security, and good governance in order to mitigate the effects of political instability on development projects. This can be accomplished using a variety of strategies, such as the development of strong legal frameworks, the strengthening of institutions, and the encouragement of peaceful and democratic processes. Predicting political instability could also be done by utilizing quantitative methodologies, such as predictive analytics of political behavior and attitudes of citizens of a country. Using techniques like social network analysis, researchers can monitor upcoming political instability via social media.
In conclusion, there are a number of issues the development sector must address, such as the underrepresentation of researchers from the Global South, corruption, and unstable political systems. Social science researchers from the Global South require access to education and resources in quantitative approaches to remedy the underrepresentation. Stability, security, and good governance should be addressed in order to lessen the effects of political instability, and quantitative approaches like social network analysis and predictive analytics can be used to this end. For the development sector to become more inclusive and productive, these issues must be resolved.
References
Amarante, V., Burger, R., Chelwa, G., Cockburn, J., Kassouf, A., McKay, A., & Zurbrigg, J. (2022). Underrepresentation of developing country researchers in development research. Applied economics letters, 29(17), 1659–1664.
Facing the Hard Facts in Yemen. (2012, October 1). World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2012/09/26/yemen-talking-points
