Notes on Strategy
List of Notes on Strategy
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Governance of Post-Disaster Kerala: Some Crucial Aspects
By Santhakumar V | Aug 6, 2019
The recent floods have highlighted the social, economic & environmental vulnerability of man-made structures and their management in Kerala. A strategy for development that would make the state resilient in the face of major natural disasters.
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The Emerging Role of a Governmental Agency in Promoting Renewable Energy: Lessons for ANERT, Kerala
By Santhakumar V | Jan 22, 2019
There will be a greater demand for and willingness to use alternative sources of power in Kerala in the future. How should ANERT transition to meet these?
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Behavioural Change as Part of Development Practice
By Santhakumar V | Jan 3, 2019
Though the impact of social norms on human behaviour has been an important part of social sciences from the beginning, there is a realisation of the need now to integrate the findings from neurosciences, psychology, behavioural economics and anthropology to understand the specific ways in which these social norms or ways of ‘making sense’ impact the thinking and actions of individuals, which in turn impact development outcomes.
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Creating Effective Organisations
By Santhakumar V | Dec 14, 2018
What can be the criteria for evaluating and designing effective organisations?
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Challenges in Managing Development Organisations
By Santhakumar V | Nov 27, 2018
Setting up an organisation to receive or provide a service is not necessary for all contexts. There may be several other options. At the same time, there are several genuine reasons why creating an organisation is preferred over other options.
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Working with a Social Purpose: Why Altruism Alone is Not Enough
By Santhakumar V | Nov 13, 2018
What motivates altruism? Is it self-interest, the desire to acquire money or power, or the compulsion to do the ‘right thing’? All these are examined in detail in this note.
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Economic Analysis of Trade-offs in Development Practice
By Santhakumar V | Nov 2, 2018
If a set of children get an education or people in a village get healthcare through a development action, how do we calculate these social benefits? Basic ideas from Economics.
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Development Practitioners have to be Responsible Environmentalists
By Santhakumar V | Oct 15, 2018
To enhance the effectiveness of our actions towards environmental protection, we must adopt a strategy informed by rational thinking that does not neglect basic insights and indications.
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The Need to Sustain Benefits of Development Practice
By Santhakumar V | Oct 1, 2018
In general, it is relatively easy to create an asset or implement a project – construction and implementation can be hired or outsourced. However, this will not ensure that the asset will function well as long as it lasts.
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Analysing Trade-offs in Development Practice
By Santhakumar V | Aug 28, 2018
Those who have decided to devote their lives to development practice and may have sacrificed a better income elsewhere – why should they consider the costs and benefits of it? Will such an analysis not deter them from doing good if the trade-off is discouraging?
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Why We Need Development Practitioners
By Santhakumar V | Aug 9, 2018
It is important to note the persistence of a high level of poverty and underdevelopment in India, despite its achievements in the economic sphere and the income growth for a relatively smaller section of the society.
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Development Practitioners Need Critical Self-Reflection
By Santhakumar V | Jul 26, 2018
Before starting a development action, it is important to honestly question one’s own motivations. This is true for individuals as well as organisations…
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Assessing the Need for Development Actions
By Santhakumar V | Jul 2, 2018
There can be two ways of identifying the need for intervention – the first is based on what is ‘demanded’ by the people; the second is when the ‘interventionist’ feels that there is a need for intervention even if people concerned are not demanding it.
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Development Practitioners Should Take Note of Local Political Economy
By Santhakumar V | Jun 6, 2018
In a socio-political context that is controlled by the elites but where the majority is poor who have less control over public resources and governmental decisions, it is obvious that the elites will not have enough incentive to work towards broad-based development.
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Community Participation in School Management: Reasons it May Not Work in India
By Santhakumar V | May 16, 2018
There are arguments that favour enhancing the participation of the community (which includes parents) in the management or affairs of schools, especially those that are government-controlled or government-aided.
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The Need to Strengthen Government Schools in India
By Santhakumar V | Apr 30, 2018
Though private schools may be efficient in terms of expenditure, they may give lower salaries to the teachers. The higher salaries in government schools may encourage many teachers to join private schools or government schools as contract teachers while aspiring for permanent appointments in government schools or other better-paying jobs.