A tale from the Bunduni woods: Part 2—The moral of the tale

Analyses the failure of the National Rural Development Project in Bunduni. When the small-scale pilot scheme was extended to cover a far wider area, its original emphasis on the development of human resources was lost to the emphasis on construction of physical infrastructure. Since this did not demand any commitment from the beneficiaries, they were not involved in its planning and development and would not thereafter accept responsibility for its maintenance. The other elements that contributed to the project's failure were the lack of political commitment, the perception of the beneficiaries needs, and the unsuccessful use of foreign consultants as a means to transfer technology. The traditional role of the aid agencies in this kind of project is examined, and suggestions put forward as to how the financial strength of the multi-lateral agencies might be combined with the flexibility of non-government agencies to achieve development objectives.