Assessing Global Needs When Identifying Potential Engineering for Global Development Projects

2021 ◽  
Vol 144 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher S. Mabey ◽  
Christopher A. Mattson ◽  
Eric C. Dahlin
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Aid ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Global Development ◽  
Human Need ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Technological Achievement ◽  
Key Questions

Abstract With limited time and resources available to carry out Engineering for Global Development (EGD) projects, it can be difficult to know where those resources should be allocated to have greater potential for meaningful impact. It is easy to assume that projects should occur in a particular location based on personal experience or where other development projects are taking place. This can be a consideration, but it may not lead to the greatest social impact. Where to work on a project and what problem to work on are key questions in the early stages of product development in the context of EGD. To aid in this process, this article presents a method for assessing global needs to ensure thoughtful use of limited EGD resources. We introduce a method for identifying locations where there is human need, gaps in technological achievement, and what the work environment is in a country. Results of the method are compared to what countries receive the most foreign aid dollars per capita. Measures were calculated using the principal component analysis on data from development agencies. These results can help practitioners in selecting where to undertake development projects with an eye toward targeting locations that may yield high levels of social impact.

Assessing Global Needs When Identifying Potential Engineering for Global Development Projects

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher S. Mabey ◽  
Christopher A. Mattson ◽  
Eric C. Dahlin
Keyword(s):  
Personal Experience ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
World Economic Forum ◽  
Global Development ◽  
Human Need ◽  
World Economic ◽  
Technological Achievement ◽  
Key Questions

Abstract With limited time and resources available to carry out Engineering for Global Development (EGD) projects, it can be difficult to know where those resources should be allocated to have great potential for meaningful impact. It is easy to assume that projects should occur in a particular location based upon personal experience or where other development projects are taking place. This can be a consideration, but it may not lead to the greatest social impact. Where to work on a project and what problem to work on are key questions at the outset of an EGD project. To aid in this process, this paper presents a method for assessing global needs to ensure thoughtful use of limited EGD resources. We introduce a method for identifying locations where there is human need, gaps in technological achievement, and what countries are favorable to do business in. Results of the method are compared to what countries receive the most foreign aid dollars per capita. Measures were calculated using principal component analysis (PCA) on data collected from the United Nations, World Bank, World Economic Forum, and AidData. These results can help practitioners in selecting where to undertake development projects with an eye toward targeting locations that may yield high levels of social impact.

Chile: Christian Democracy to Marxism

1971 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-341
Author(s):  
Michael J. Francis ◽  
Hernan Vera-Godoy
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Foreign Aid ◽  
Presidential Election ◽  
Political System ◽  
Christian Democracy ◽  
The World ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The Government ◽  
Basic Alternative

Increasingly alone as a stable republican nation in Latin America, Chile has long been a favorite subject for North American scholars and journalists. Every six years, as it faces a presidential election, the world press breathlessly rediscovers that this long slim country confronts its public problems within the framework of a developed, democratic political system. When in 1964 Chile placed a young idealistic party in power behind Eduardo Frei, an unquestionably intelligent figure of austere but charismatic bearing, this country became a favorite model for the advocates of democratic reformism in Latin America and soon was receiving the highest United States foreign aid per capita in Latin America. Thus it came as a shock that the Chilean electorate could turn its back on Frei's administration in 1970 by favoring the rightist and Marxist candidates. For those who saw in the government of Frei a basic alternative to Marxist models for Latin America, the free election of an avowed Marxist as the President of Chile presents additional problems.

scholarly journals AID AND GROWTH IN BANGLADESH: A REASSESSMENT

2018 ◽  
pp. 422-440
Author(s):  
Sharif Hossain ◽  
Rajarshi Mitra ◽  
Thasinul Abedin
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Foreign Aid ◽  
Inflation Rate ◽  
Government Expenditure ◽  
Real Income ◽  
Domestic Investment ◽  
Real Gdp ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Short Run ◽  
Per Capita

Although the amount of foreign aid received by Bangladesh as a share of GDP has declined over the years, Bangladesh remains one of the heavily aiddependent countries in Asia. The results of most empirical studies that have examined the effectiveness of foreign aid or other forms of development assistance for economic growth have varied considerably depending on the econometric methodology used and the period of study. As the debate and controversy over aid-effectiveness for economic growth continue to grow, this paper reinvestigates the short-run and long-run effects of foreign aid received on percapita real income of Bangladesh over the period 1972–2015. A vector error correction model is estimated. The results indicate lack of any significant short-run and long-run relation between foreign aid and per-capita real income. Results further indicate short-run unidirectional causalities from per-capita real GDP to domestic investment (in proportion to GDP), from government expenditure (in proportion to GDP) to inflation rate, from inflation rate to domestic investment (in proportion to GDP), and from domestic investment to foreign aid (as percentages of GDP). Short-run bidirectional causality is observed between per-capita electricity consumption and per-capita real GDP, and between per-capita real GDP and government expenditure (in proportion to GDP).

12. International Drivers of Democracy

2019 ◽  
pp. 229-252
Author(s):  
Andrea Kendall-Taylor ◽  
Natasha Lindstaedt ◽  
Erica Frantz
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Aid ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
International Order ◽  
Democratic Transitions ◽  
Time And Space ◽  
P Diffusion ◽  
Key Questions

Geopolitics and the international order 231 Diffusion, diffusion-proofing, and autocracy promotion 232 External imposition 240 Linkage and leverage 243 Foreign aid 245 International organizations 249 Conclusion 251 Key Questions 252 Further Reading 252 Most scholars agree that democratic transitions tend to cluster in time and space. Samuel Huntington was the first to refer to this phenomenon as ‘waves of democracy’. The most recent and widely analysed wave, the ...

The Quantitative Evaluation on the Response of Climate Change upon the Sustainability of the Agricultural Production

2010 ◽  
Vol 129-131 ◽  
pp. 1161-1165
Author(s):  
Lin Chun Hou ◽  
Hui Qin Li
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Principal Component Analysis ◽  
Linear Regression ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Agricultural Productivity ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Environmental Condition ◽  
Land Utilization ◽  
Agricultural Society ◽  
Per Capita

The aim: quantitatively evaluate the response of climate change upon the sustainability of the agricultural production. The method: the paper selected two regions (Hubei and shan’xi province) which represented different climate environment, utilized modern statistic data, Principal Component Analysis and multivariate linear regression to quantitatively evaluate the influence of climate change upon agricultural production through isolating climate environment from arable area, land utilization and management and landform and so on. The conclusion: The study indicated that when environmental condition turned good to agriculture, the function of environmental condition to agriculture relatively decreased; the capability of agricultural society and production decreased too, and people could select the land to cultivate, where agricultural productivity is higher. And that when environmental condition turned bad to agriculture, the function of environmental condition to agriculture relatively increased; the capability of agricultural society and production increased, too; people could not put emphasis on the land where agricultural productivity is higher, whereas focused on productivity per capita.

Economic and Social Impacts of Sovereign Sukuk

2020 ◽  
pp. 732-751
Author(s):  
Magda Ismail Abdel Mohsin ◽  
Ishraga Khattab ◽  
Mhd Osama Alchaar
Keyword(s):  
Capital Markets ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Social Impacts ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Individual Investors ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Retail Investors ◽  
Economic And Social Impacts

This chapter explores the economic and social impacts of sovereign Sukuk in Sudan and its unique challenges. The first of its kind, this research collected primary data from different groups of investors of Sudanese governmental Sukuk. Adopting a qualitative approach (interview questions and open and closed-ended surveys), four sets of questions were distributed to four groups (individual investors, institutional investors, government officials, and academics). The survey found that despite Sukuk's influence in activating the economy and financial markets, and encouraging savings awareness, the market in Sudan is facing many challenges. Accordingly, it is recommended that Sukuk issuances should appeal to a wider audience including retail investors. The ensuing system, which could likewise be adopted by other countries, would generate more liquidity for development projects and may prove helpful for developed Sukuk markets. Additionally, evolving capital markets would enhance the economic and social impact of governmental Sukuk.

What Can We Learn from Global and Regional Rankings of Countries?

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-139
Author(s):  
Huseyin Aytug ◽  
Siong Hook Law ◽  
Nirvikar Singh
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
South America ◽  
Principal Components ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Country Characteristics ◽  
Country Rankings ◽  
Per Capita

We use principal component analysis (PCA) to extract the essential information contained in 10 different country rankings, measuring different country characteristics such as GDP per capita, human development, quality of governance, environmental quality and business environment. Globally, the first principal component accounts for about 82 per cent of the variation across countries, and the first three principal components account for over 92 per cent. The percentages are similar for regions such as Europe, North America and Asia, but lower for South America and Africa, but even in the last of these regions, the first three principal components account for 86 per cent of the variation. Excluding GDP per capita does not change our results appreciably. The analysis suggests that various different indices may add relatively little new information to more basic measures of development. Regional comparisons suggest that Asia’s economic structures, as implied by the rankings, may be closer to those of Europe and North America than South America and Africa. JEL Codes: C38, O1, O57

Leading across cultural borders: a communitarian approach to global development

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-166
Author(s):  
Malcolm Elliott Glover
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Community Development ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Global Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Multicultural Workforce ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the community development experiences of a communitarian leader who has worked with various global institutions. Through interviews and the examination of lived experiences, findings yield new insights into the complexity of human identity and the flexibility of decision making in a multicultural setting. The narrative also aims to inform current discourse on leadership in the non-profit sector. Design/methodology/approach Narrative analysis was used to investigate outcomes and relay the personal anecdotes of the interview participant. Formal and open-ended questioning generated comprehensive responses concerning the participant’s personal and professional interactions while completing work-related tasks for global development projects. In general, questions that referenced conflict among colleagues, cultural proclivities, and gendered decision making allowed the participant to expound on answers that explored workplace relationships, organizational structures, and leadership perspectives. Interview responses were examined for emergent patterns or categories and detailed analysis of codes from interviews guided the creation of four key themes: feminine ethos, organizational identity, self-perception, and sociocultural interaction. Findings The narrative delves into the important human and humanitarian experiences that have shaped the professional life of Dr Thomas Bruce, an exemplar of leadership in the global non-profit sector. Bruce, a self-described communitarian, served as Chairman of the Board of Directors at Heifer International and oversaw community outreach initiatives in South Africa for the Kellogg Foundation. Based on Bruce’s knowledge, expertise, and responses, findings suggest global leaders take a multidimensional approach to colleague interaction and project completion. Narrative outcomes also indicate the evolving nature of grassroots initiatives requires both assertive and cooperative management styles. Research limitations/implications Due to the chosen research method, findings focus on the experiences of one global non-profit leader. Narrative outcomes are unique and may not have the requisite data to be applied to cases or situations beyond the global non-profit sector. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to interview other leaders who have worked on global humanitarian initiatives to further understand their diverse experiences. Practical implications The narrative includes practical implications for practitioners who oversee global development projects and other humanitarian initiatives in an interdependent world. Use of compromise, collaboration, and compassion often aid community outreach efforts and strengthen communication in the workplace, particularly for leaders who manage a multicultural workforce. Social implications In an interdependent world shaped by the forces of globalization and cosmopolitanism, leaders of global non-profit organizations regularly manage a multicultural workforce and resolve public disputes in order to address prevailing humanitarian challenges. Understanding the lessons learned by one exemplar in the global non-profit sector can aid cross-cultural communication and enhance community development activities in various countries. Originality/value This narrative fills an identified need to study and understand how global leaders work with diverse communities and a multicultural workforce to complete important institutional and humanitarian goals.

Harnessing foreign aid for the poor: role of institutional democracy

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (7) ◽  
pp. 1689-1710
Author(s):  
Eric Akobeng
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Foreign Aid ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Land Area ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Ssa Countries

PurposeThis paper examines the relationship between foreign aid, institutional democracy and poverty. The paper explores the direct effect of foreign aid on poverty and quantifies the facilitating role of democracy in harnessing foreign aid for poverty reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).Design/methodology/approachThe paper attempts to address the endogenous relationship between foreign aid and poverty by employing the two-stage least squares instrumental variable (2SLS-IV) estimator by using GDP per capita of the top five Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries sending foreign aid to SSA countries scaled by the inverse of the land area of the SSA countries to stimulate an exogenous variation in foreign aid and its components. The initial level of democracy is interacted with the senders’ GDP per capita to also instrument for the interaction terms of democracy, foreign aid and its components.FindingsThe results suggest that foreign aid reduces poverty and different components of foreign aid have different effects on poverty. In particular, multilateral source and grant type seem to be more significant in reducing poverty than bilateral source and loan type. The study further reveals that democratic attributes of free expression, institutional constraints on the executive, guarantee of civil liberties to citizens and political participation reinforce the poverty-reducing effects of aggregate foreign aid and its components after controlling for mean household income, GDP per capita and inequality.Research limitations/implicationsThe methodological concern related to modeling the effects of foreign aid on poverty is endogeneity bias. To estimate the relationship between foreign aid, democracy and poverty in SSA, this paper relies on a 2SLS-IV estimator with GDP per capita of the top five aid-sending OECD countries scaled by the inverse of land area of the SSA countries as an external instrument for foreign aid. The use of the five top OECD's Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC) countries is due to the availability of foreign aid data for these countries. However, non-OECD-DAC countries such as China and South Africa may be important source of foreign aid to some SSA countries.Practical implicationsThe findings further suggest that the marginal effect of foreign aid in reducing poverty is increasing with the level of institutional democracy. In other words, foreign aid contributes more to poverty reduction in countries with democratic dispensation. This investigation has vital implications for future foreign aid policy, because it alerts policymakers that the effectiveness of foreign aid can be strengthened by considering the type and source of aid. Foreign aid and quality political institution may serve as an important mix toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and the Africa Union Agenda 2063.Social implicationsAs the global economy faces economic and social challenges, SSA may not be able to depend heavily on foreign partners to finance the region's budget. There is the need for African governments to also come out with innovative ways to mobilize own resources to develop and confront some of the economic challenges to achieve the required reduction in poverty. This is a vision that every country in Africa must work toward. Africa must think of new ways of generating wealth internally for development so as to complement foreign aid flows and also build strong foundation for welfare improvement, self-reliance and sustainable development.Originality/valueThis existing literature does not consider how democracy enhances the foreign aid and poverty relationship. The existing literature does not explore how democracy enhances grants, loans, multilateral and bilateral aid effectiveness in reducing poverty. This paper provides the first-hand evidence of how institutional democracy enhances the poverty-reducing effects of foreign aid and its components. The paper uses exogenous variation in foreign aid to quantify the direct effect of foreign aid and its components on poverty.

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