Ten Consequential and Actionable ‘Social’ Contributions to the Theory, Practice, and Evaluation of Development

Overview & Synopsis

Understandings of what is unique and consequential about ‘social’ development vis-à-vis other sectoral domains have evolved considerably over the past eight decades, with the present articulations enjoying broad acceptance in theory while often being ignored in practice. Although administrative imperatives within large organizations may require social development to have a stand-alone operational portfolio, this paper argues that its impact would be greatly enhanced if its distinctive contributions were incorporated into everyday activity in all development sectors. The paper outlines 10 such actionable ‘social’ contributions, making a case for why and how they matter – intrinsically and instrumentally – across mainstream concerns regarding development processes and outcomes, in poor and rich countries alike.