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Burgess Manuscript
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Hundreds of Issues
From the book 'Hundreds of Issues that Impact Relief and Development'
Section OOO
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Issue
ODA
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Basic observation
Official Development Assistance (ODA) has been a big sector for upwards of 50 years.
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Prevailing response
In spite a lot of well intentioned efforts, ODA has not been enough to help poor countries get out of poverty. Though there is clearly a poor result after several decades, it is less clear how and why this has been the outcome.
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A better response
One way in which ODA would be strengthened is to have a far better range of management information, and system for accountability so that ODA implements more programs that have a favorable value chain for durable socio-economic progress.
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Issue
ORDA
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Basic observation
Official Relief and Development Assistance (ORDA) includes humanitarian relief with development assistance.
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Prevailing response
Much of the criticism associated with ODA also applies to the broader ORDA arena. Relief and development are best considered together because of the large amount of resources that are now consumed in humanitarian relief and the relatively limited amount of funding now used for development investment.
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A better response
While the results of ORDA initiatives are fairly visible, and the conclusion can easily be reached that ORDA has delivered rather little relative to the amounts consumed ... the lack of management information and the limited ability to have accountability means that the status quo does not get changed.
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Issue
Objectives
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Basic observation
Objectives are very helpful in getting some clarity about the direction of an organization.
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Prevailing response
But management by objective is not enough, and on its own usually fails. And objectives are often a limiting factor in getting the best results possible.
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A better response
Objectives are a good starting point, but objectives need to be associated with other elements of a comprehensive management information package in order to be fully effective.
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Issue
Occupational safety
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Basic observation
Occupational safety has improved very much over the past fifty years in rich countries.
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Prevailing response
The work place is very much safer today than in years past in all the rich countries, but the same improvement has not reached all places of work in all countries. In poor countries working conditions are unacceptably poor, and there is a serious lack of occupational safety.
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A better response
Occupational safety needs to be an issue that is addressed by buyers in the global supply chains. Independent oversight and watchdog groups need to have occupational safety on their radar. Rich countries have leverage where the production goes into international supply chains, but there also needs to be improvement in local workplaces supplying local needs.
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Issue
Oil
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Basic observation
Oil is a driver of the energy sector and the global economy.
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Prevailing response
Oil is one of the biggest sectors in the global economy, and is very profitable as the industry is presently organized. The profitability is difficult to understand in relation to the public words of the industry leadership and the industry spokespeople. The industry has evolved into a very large oligopoly that operates with very tight control of its information.
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A better response
The public needs to know how the oil industry value chain works, and who are the beneficiaries of all the expenditures of the industry and what values accrue to the industry by virtue of all its payments. The value chain of the oil industry does not benefit all stakeholders, and people that are located in poor countries with oil resources gain unreasonably little from the value of the industry as a whole.
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Issue
Opportunity
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Basic observation
Give poor people the opportunity to work. Pay them to do what needs to be done. Expectation is that money will be used to buy essentials first.
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Prevailing response
This has not been a priority except that there have been many studies of income-generating activities to satisfy a need to appear to be addressing poverty issues
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A better response
Give people the opportunity to work. Pay them to do what needs to be done. Expectation is that money will be used to buy essentials first. Don't invest in survival, but invest for progress. Jobs is a solution.
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Issue
Opportunity costs
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Basic observation
Opportunity cost is the cost of not getting the chance to do something of value.
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Prevailing response
The idea of opportunity cost is very valuable in helping to decide between alternative plans, but all forms of cost analysis are missing from the decision making in the relief and development sector.
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A better response
As better management information is created to guide the decision making of the relief and development sector, much more sophistication will be needed in decision making, and the idea of opportunity cost will be used heavily in assessing alternative strategies.
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Issue
Organization
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Basic observation
Organization is a requirement for efficient and effective operations
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Prevailing response
Merely having resources is not enough for there to be wealth. Organization is one of the components of a system that works, and in the relief and development sector, organization is quite dysfunctional. This goes a long way to explaining why results in the relief and development sector have been so limited
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A better response
Organization needs to be different for different societies and for different purposes. The management information needed for effectiveness in decision making needs to have organization as a component in order for good results to be achieved.
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Issue
Organizations
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Basic observation
Organizations are entities that engage in activities.
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Prevailing response
Organizations in the relief and development sector have many forms from the large institutions like the World Bank and the entities of the United Nations and Governments to the NGOs that are both large and small.
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A better response
An organization facilitates activities when it has the functional capacity to do what needs to be done, but this is not guaranteed. Management information is also needed so that an organization can have the organization needed to do what needs to be done in the most efficient and cost efficient manner possible. Decisions derived from management information can be a lot better than actions derived simply from established process or procedure.
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Issue
Organized crime
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Basic observation
Organized crime is an economic force to be reckoned with. Rather little attention is paid to this as part of the process of ORDA.
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Prevailing response
There are various initiatives that are mounted from time to time by the international law enforcement entities. This is not coordinated usually with ORDA initiatives.
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A better response
As better relief and development information is compiled, follow the trail of fund flows to help address the issues of organized crime and the linkages to decision making by government and corporate leadership
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From 'HUNDREDS OF ISSUES THAT IMPACT RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT'
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