Good management is key to effective international development programs, and training people in country in management is a critical component to development efforts. Without skilled leaders who can apply international best practice with local relevance, programs risk wasting resources and leaving communities without the ability to sustain growth beyond the timeline of a single intervention. Introducing strong management training to development efforts means, among other things, more efficient delivery of services, more effective use of resources, stronger entrepreneurs, and better integration with the global economy.
The commitments secured by the Clinton Global Initiative this week are an inspiring and ambitious collection of interventions that promise to make great strides in improving the health, welfare and power of millions of people living in the developing world. We applaud these commitments and look forward to seeing them come to fruition. We also encourage all of those endeavoring to make a difference in the developing world to keep in mind the easily overlooked, yet crucially important element of management training, for those implementing programs and those who they seek to empower. Whether improving access to clean water (Clean Water, Ecuadorian Amazon), addressing preparedness and response to cholera (icddr.b and Americares in Bangladesh), or advancing economic recovery and women’s empowerment (Women for Women International, Democratic Republic of the Congo), programs can improve impact and sustainability by fostering, and training, local leadership.
For forty years the founder of our organization, Guy Pfeffermann, worked in the developing world as an economist for the World Bank watching people struggle despite well-meaning aid and determined businesses. He and his colleagues grew increasingly frustrated by the devastating waste of resources and human potential due to a lack of management talent. There simply weren't enough people with the skills and knowledge to successfully implement programs, build businesses and lead communities. The recognition of an opportunity to improve development across the board was the driving force behind the creation of GBSN. Today, GBSN convenes a growing network of leading international business schools who share a commitment to strengthening management education for the developing world. Through GBSN organizations can access the expert mentorship, advice, and trainers they need to incorporate critical management education into programs.
When we look at the commitments made this week at CGI, we're thrilled to see that capacity-building is an integral part of many of them. We strongly urge all development efforts to consider good management as a fundamental factor in long-term success. Sustainability and scalability depend hugely on local conditions and programs are unlikely to have maximum development impact where mismanagement is pervasive. Interventions that improve circumstances on the ground without a corresponding improvement in local human capital can perpetuate a dependence on outside aid and expertise.
GBSN member schools, and other business schools around the globe, offer a wealth of knowledge and experience in implementing successful management training and capacity-building. There are a multitude of ways for development programs to utilize business schools as resources to improve outcomes, including advisory groups, training programs, mentoring, developing cases, student consulting and more. As these CGI commitments move from ideas to action, we hope that they will consider the practical challenges that effective management training can alleviate and tap into the amazing resources that business schools have to offer to the developing world.
