Understanding Development Projects

Development Solutions Institute (DSI) is pleased to publish the first issue of Development in Practice, a new newsletter series that makes applied development economics clear, visual, and practical for project managers and decision-makers.

This inaugural issue explains what distinguishes a development project from a program and a private-sector project. It presents a practical six-phase project cycle (from identification and diagnosis to implementation, evaluation, transition, and learning) and examines how public value, political economy, institutional capacity, local ownership, adaptive management, and sustainability shape project results. The newsletter also helps readers understand the different terminology used by major development institutions for comparable stages of the project cycle.