Advice for New MPA-DP Students (or any Development Grad Students)

This week, a new cohort of MPA in Development Practice students arrive at Columbia SIPA. The MPA-DP program, sometimes known as MDP (Master of Development Practice), is designed to train the next generation of development practitioners. It is a journey that can be both challenging and rewarding, fun and frustrating. As a mature second-year student, I myself have learned a few lessons I thought I would pass on to you, the incoming MPA-DP student. Actually, my wisdom is so profound that it should be useful to all incoming development grad students:

• Don't put much faith in the advice of second year students. Everyone has their own favorite class, least favorite professor, or favorite gyro stand (*). But you will quickly learn that each of our experiences are, well, our own experiences. They are heavily dependent on our own goals, learning styles, and backgrounds. Some students last year took classes that were supposed to be great, and hated them. And some took classes that they were warned against, and loved them. Gather as much information on classes/events/subway routes as you can, but in the end make your own decisions. 
• The phrase "development practitioner" can really mean whatever you want it to mean. I initially thought it meant "field worker managing a rural development project;" one of my classmates thinks it means "politician interested in social and economic development." In my class, students were or want to become: government bureaucrats, NGO directors, philanthropists, World Bank economists, entrepreneurs, journalists, consultants, and teachers, to name a few. You and your classmates are all development practitioners, so own the phrase and, if you are like I was and currently possess a limited definition of "development practitioner," broaden it and embrace your talented and diverse colleagues.
• Overwhelmed with quant classes and disappointed in your electives? Remember that most of your education will actually happen outside the (formal) classroom, in the form of student groups, guest lecturers, and events. Find like-minded students to chase a specific interest, or students with differeing opinions to debate. If you cannot find the student group that fits your specific development-related interest, start one. [Oh, and some of that education will come at the bars and clubs, too]
• Have a strong idea of what you want to get out of your education. It does not have to be too specific, and it can change during your time at SIPA. But do you want to gain skills? If so, what skills? Do you want to expand your knowledge of a certain sector, or diversify your knowledge outside of a certain sector? Do you want to work abroad after SIPA or in your own country? You won't have all the answers yet, but having some strong (rough) ideas will be helpful.
• That being said, be open-minded about your education. Try new things, embrace the chance to have new experiences. Have you worked in South America for your whole career? Consider an internship in Asia. Do you have extensive public health experience? Pursue agricultural development. Most of all, become an expert in "expectation management." If you have worked in development before, you probably are used to "fluid situations" and situations that can change suddenly. Graduate school is not much different, so prepare yourself by keeping your expectations... reasonable. [aka Ride the Wave Where it Takes You]
• Get familiar with the relevant development conversations. Sure, you've read Sachs (probably how you discovered the MDP programs). But have you read (or can you remember) Easterly, Sen, or Farmer? Those are just a few... there are lots of development books and journals out there, and soon enough you will have more than enough of these to read for your courses. So don't spend the few weeks before school starting a new book. Another, perhaps easier way, to connect with the current conversations is to read development blogs.  NYU MPA graduate Dave Algoso makes the case for reading development blogs here. As he puts it, "Blogs cover many of the same issues as both newspapers and journals, but with an eye toward what they mean for practitioners and policy makers." Some of the blogs he mentions are defunct, but they should get you started. If nothing else, read (new SIPA professor) Chris Blattman's blog for a few days and see if you don't become hooked.
• Blog about development. It is a great way to think through some of the complex issues you will be learning about over the next year. I could write an entire post making the case for writing a blog, but Dave Algoso already did that for me! (and he boiled down the reasons to three: Get Smart, Get Connected, and Help Others Get Smart and Connected). Or, if starting your own blog is too much commitment, consider writing for The Morningside Post or Communique, SIPA's student-run publications.
• When you are bogged down in problem sets and all-night study sessions, take the time to remember why you are doing this. This was definitely something I needed. The field placement will be helpful, but in the meantime be sure to reconnect with people who inspire you or issues you are passionate about.
• Don't put much faith in the advice of second year students. Especially those who repeat themselves.

(*) Actually this is not open for debate: it's the one outside the law school.

And It's One, Two, Three, What are we Fighting for?

Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, next stop is Vietnam...

Maybe a US-Vietnam Ware era song is not the best way to introduce my current trip to Vietnam... but at least it is an anti-war anthem!

Having wrapped up my internship in Timor-Leste, I am now embarking on a brief holiday to Vietnam. Why Vietnam? Well, I asked many, many people about their suggestions for southeast Asian travel destinations... and each person had a different place I "had" to see. But, if it was not there first choice, most agreed that Vietnam is a top-three place to visit. Couple that with my history nerd-ism, and my development nerd-ism, and my love of rice... well, it just seemed like a perfect fit.

I am flying into Hanoi and out of Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon). In between, I will spend about 8 days travelling throughout the country, with no real itinerary. I plan to see some cool mountains, bays, beaches, and rice fields (on the latter, I am connecting with some SRI practitioners for some hippie-organic farm talk). I hope to see some historical sights (Hue, Hanoi), some natural wonders (Halong Bay), and some more-recent-historical sights (DMZ, Cu Chi Tunnels). But no definite plans; I am equipped with a Lonely Planet chapter on Vietnam and the (so-far) excellent read on modern Vietnam, Vietnam: Rising Dragon. After reading a few chapters of Rising Dragon, I was convinced I made the right choice. How could I resist with lines like these:

Vietnam is proof that development can work; that a poor society can become better-off, and in a dramatically short period of time.

Life--not just rural life--depends upon rice.

Rice is such an integral part of Vietnamese culture that the word for it--com--can also be used to mean both 'meal' and 'wife.'

Should be a fun trip. More to follow...

Timor: Finishing and Farewells

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post bemoaning the fact that this summer was different than my Peace Corps experience. As fate would have it, the end of my internship brought about a series of similarities that reminded me all too well of the Peace Corps.

As I wrapped up my time in Timor-Leste, I could not help but feel like I had not contributed anything worthwhile. I certainly learned a lot about development, both through Seeds of Life and through the various other programs I saw in Timor-Leste. But my contributions were limited to costing and value chain analysis of the seed sector, and a few minor other projects along the way. I felt like I had taken and not given much back.

A similar feeling came over me towards the end of my time in the Peace Corps. Actually, it happened at all 3 villages I lived in: My contribution was difficult to quantify, and it seemed like my lasting effect would be teaching Malagasy kids new dances and songs.

Yet I was surprised, upon finishing my service in each village in Peace Corps, that numerous community members and co-workers asked me when I would be coming back. It was mostly the people with whom I had inconsequential interactions (or so I thought). Yet they all adamantly wanted me to return, and recounted the positive events we shared. My favorite was the man who attended one of my compost trainings, and actively ignored most of the workshop while making snide comments. He later came up to me to show me not only the compost piles he built but the crops he was growing with them.

Likewise, at the end of my time with Seeds of Life, numerous Timorese staff members came to me to tell me they wished I would return after school. Some of these staff members again barely interacted with me, yet they all had fond recollections and found my contributions beneficial.

So maybe I accomplished more than I thought; or my mistake was in looking for hard data when the accomplishments were in human relationships.

There was one more similarity between my Peace Corps time and my Timor-Leste internship: the disappearance of the people I was closest to right before my departure. In my first Peace Corps village, I left for a training and then ended up having to evacuate the country because of a coup. So I never said goodbye (in person) to my counterparts. My second village, my closest friends were all conspicuously absent the morning I left, despite assurances that they would see me off. And my third site, the President of the cooperative I worked with took off to some other town for a week before I left. Not to be outdone, here in Timor-Leste my host father took his two daughters to another district before dawn this morning, depriving me the chance to say goodbye. Maybe they all could not bear the burden of saying goodbye…That's what I'm telling myself, anyway.

What I've Been Reading: War is a Racket

In keeping with my recent theme of "how have I not read this yet?!," I recently came across this gem: War is a Racket: The Antiwar Classic by America's Most Decorated Soldier. It is a brief write-up by Brigadier General Smedley D. Butler of the USMC. The reason I am surprised I have not read it is because this man is the protagonist of one of my favorite historical quotes:

I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefits of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. In China I helped to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested. During those years, I had, as the boys in the back room would say, a swell racket. Looking back on it, I feel that I could have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.

So you might have thought I would've come across this classic treatise against war-profiteering before now. You should be able to find the text online for free, but this book format included lots of context in the introduction, including details of a surprising plot that, as a history nerd I really should know more about - the 1935 "Fascist plot" to overthrow the United States government. And, for that matter, the Bonus Army march on Washington. The introduction ends with: "War is a Racket! remains an astonishing reminder that America once stood for constitutional principles and not power-enhanced greed."

Like Ike's departing presidential speech warning against the military-industrial complex, this book of profiteering corporations and blood-money is surprisingly relevant in the modern world. Butler wrote of leather companies selling thousands of saddles to Uncle Sam despite a distinct lack of American cavalry in World War I Europe. Such tales have been told throughout history, yet it was the solution he saw that seems to resonate the most. He spoke of the only way to truly end war:

Well-meaning but impractical groups can't wipe it out by resolutions. It can be smashed effectively only by taking the profit out of war.

Preaching ideas which have support (and disdain) on both sides of the American political divide today, Butler was not so much a pacifist as he was an isolationist. Strength at home, common-sense neutrality, and laws forbidding US troops on foreign shores were the hallmarks of his foreign policy beliefs. His ideas may seem difficult to apply in the modern world, or impractical, or out-of-touch, but they are well worth thinking about.

Finally, maybe the (quick) read is too much for you. In that case, I believe the book was adapted from this speech, which is perhaps more powerful anyways. Check it out:

To Hell With War!

A Few Feel-Good Links: Peace Corps Ethiopia Jams, Inspirational Tanzania Photography, and SCIENCE!

Sometimes we all can get a bit cynical about our work. So if you're having a moment like that, here are a few links that you can't help but smile about!

• Etiopiawi Nain (I am Ethiopian) - A cool Peace Corps Ethiopia music video (featuring Madagascar RPCV and current Ethiopia PCV Chase)

Participatory Photography in Mbola, Tanzania! Some serious MD(ebi)P awesomeness

Curiosity - Ok this one is a bit off-topic, but how cool is science? They are finding old riverbeds on Mars!

And speaking of science, guess who is making a return to (web) tv? None other than Bill Nye the Science Guy! Coming to the Nerdist channel soon. Here's a great teaser on a very important scientific topic:

What I've Been Reading: Poor Economics

My kindle enjoyment continues, and I finally got around to reading Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty. The book could be viewed as an introduction of sorts to the two main sides in development economic debates: the "supply wallahs," like Jeffrey Sachs, who focus on increasing the supply or access to healthcare, education, or agricultural inputs; and the "demand wallahs," like William Easterly, who focus on the need for demand first, which will stimulate increased supply. The authors of Poor Economics, Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, come down somewhere in the middle of this argument. Actually, they agree in some cases with the demand wallahs and in others with the supply wallahs. More often than not, they think each specific situation requires a nuanced and case-specific answer.

The lack of a grand universal answer might sound vaguely disappointing, but in fact it is exactly what a policy maker should want to know-not that there are a million ways that the poor are trapped but that there are a few key factors that create the trap, and alleviating those particular problems could set them free and point them toward a virtuous cycle of increasing wealth and investment.

So Banerjee and Duflo went in search of these particular problems, utilizing a "new" tool: behold the power of the Randomized Control Trial! If you are interested in development studies, you probably know that RCTs have been a big fad for a while now (and in fact there is now backlash to the fad). Other commentators can better debate the specific merits of RCTs as diagnostic tools, but those referenced in this book do reveal some interesting (and sometimes counter-intuitive) community dynamics. Some of the questions addressed:

-Why are Indians eating less as their economic situation improves?

-"If people do not take advantage of cheap preventive technologies to improve their health, could it be precisely because the cheap technologies are cheap?"

-People in the developed world have many healthful amenities provided for them: clean water piped to homes, sewage systems, mandatory immunization... "In other words, we rarely need to draw upon our limited endowment of self-control and decisiveness, while the poor are constantly being required to do so."

-What should come first, increased access to quality education (when there may be no jobs for the eventual graduates emphasizing these skills), or increased investment in businesses and industries that require educated labor (when there may not be an existing supply at the time of investment)?

-The success of telenovelas in reducing family size in Brazil

-Risk diversification strategies of poor farmers

-"Finding ways to finance medium-scale enterprises is the next big challenge for finance in developing countries." Ok, this one is not so much of a case or a surprise, just an issue I am particularly interested in!

-The difference between INSTITUTIONS and local institutions

Sometimes the authors' humor is more cheesy than clever, but in general the book is very readable and interesting. And if nothing else, I would recommend it based on one of its basic principles: "The natural place to start to unravel the mystery is to assume that the poor must know what they are doing." I believe most people have logical reasons for what they do, and to assume otherwise can lead to paternalistic development practice. Look for the reasons and you will find them.

Wait, wait... Banerjee and Duflo would scold me for that thinking as well! In regards to subsidizing and enforcing good health behavior, they say:

All this sounds paternalistic, and in a way, it certainly is. But then it is easy, too easy, to sermonize about the dangers of paternalism and the need to take responsibility for our own lives, from the comfort of our couch in our safe and sanitary home. Aren't we, those who live in the rich world, the constant beneficiaries of a paternalism now so thoroughly embedded into the system that we hardly notice it?

So, then, maybe what I like most is that the last chapter is entitled "In Place of a Sweeping Conclusion."

Malnutrition Challenge in Timor-Leste Requires Investment and More Innovative Responses like HIAM Health

Timor-Leste has had many successes in the past decade, but malnutrition rates remain high; the country has the third-highest stunting levels for children under the age of 5 [Stunting is when a child is too short for their age, and is a result of chronic malnutrition]. Only Afghanistan and Yemen have worse stunting numbers. Stunting impairs skeletal growth and cognitive development, meaning the negative effects of malnutrition will last a lifetime. But unlike the other two countries atop the stunting list, Timor-Leste has a great opportunity to address nutrition for a number of reasons: it has extensive financial resources available in the Petroleum Fund; its state of peace and security have been reaffirmed by the recent democratic election; and many organizations are already addressing nutrition issues in various parts of the country. 

Now is the time for the Timor-Leste government to invest in nutrition and make "Nourishing the Nation" a national goal. People throughout the country are ready to bid farewell to UN peacekeepers and welcome economic and social development into their lives. Countries throughout the world are committing to nutrition goals as part of the SUN Movement (Scaling Up Nutrition); hopefully, Timor-Leste will join them. I will not make a long case for investing in nutrition; instead, I will give you one quote: "Its cost-benefit ratio, the economists reckon, is extraordinarily: each dollar spent on nutrition produces between $8 and $138 of benefits" (recent Economist article on SUN movement) and one image:

Child on the right lacked proper care, nutrition, and stimulation  http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTCY/Resources/395766-1186420121500/YDNiii1_Nutrition.pdf

As noted above, many organizations are addressing malnutrition in Timor-Leste. This includes the many international NGOs and donor projects. More interestingly to me, however, are the local NGOs working to improve the nation's nutrition. During a recent visit from one of the Earth Institute centers, the Center for Globalization and Sustainable Development, I had a chance to meet with a number of these local NGOs. A few really stood out in there dedication, including:
-The Alola Foundation, working to improve the lives of women and children. Founded by the Prime Minister's wife, the Alola Foundation has programs specifically addressing mother and child health.
-The Bairo Pite Clinic, which addresses all health needs as best it can (including malnutrition cases) for needy patients. It is run by an American doctor who is quite the local legend. The center is very well-respected, with some patients traveling many days to receive treatment there.

But, being an Aggie-type and a "holistic-approach-er", I was particularly impressed with HIAM Health. HIAM, an acronym that translates to "Together we help each other," is led by its inspirational director Rosaria Martins da Cruz, and the organization deals extensively with malnutrition issues. It addresses treatment, particularly among mothers and children, through supplementary feeding programs and monitoring. But they also address behavior change and preventative measures, so that the patients who leave the center better-nourished will not find themselves in danger of returning as a patient again. This behavior change includes educational instruction in nutrition, cooking classes, and extensive gardening classes. I was able to visit during a gardening session, where the self-taught HIAM Health staff members led various permaculture and organic farming sessions. A few photos from that visit follow:

Educational Art 1: Food Pyramid

Educational art 2: Mosquito Nets

Drip Irrigation: Technical

Drip Irrigation: Home Made

Slow Release Irrigation

Land space a problem for your garden? Not anymore!

Checking the Compost

For the Garden Planning Fans!

And there was more: Moringa trees, seedling trays, seed preparation training, companion planting... It was an impressive garden, and the enthusiastic trainers were good at engaging the student farmers and encouraging them to participate for hands-on learning.


[Each of these programs, despite their great work, remain very small and are constantly in search of funding. Interested in contributing to any of the above organizations? You can donate to HIAM Health here; the Baire Pite Clinic here, and the Alola Foundation here. You can also purchase some fantastic handicrafts made by the women the Alola Foundation supports.]

The Problem of a Policy that Pleases All

Timor-Leste is in the midst of preparing its first real National Seed Policy. Technically, the country has a national seed law on the books, but it never formulated an overall policy to guide this law (and the nascent seed industry as a whole). Now they are working in a more methodical manner, starting with seed policy, then working on the national seed law and related acts and everything else needed. To formulate this national policy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) has enlisted the assistance of a Nepali seed sector expert with policy experience. This expert is working with MAF directors, Seeds of Life (SoL) team members, and local NGOs to create a first draft of the policy. This policy will then be shared at farmers’ meetings across the country, to incorporate their feedback and sensitize them to the process, as well as at every level of government and to various other stakeholders nationwide.

Such a process of sharing will likely result in many different opinions from different stakeholders, and I do not envy the policy-makers who plan to incorporate all divergent views into a coherent document. Yet even the current process to formulate a working draft is full of contradictory challenges and obfuscated opinions. There different interests among the Ministry, seed researchers, and civil society. Also, there are several international bodies and treaties relevant to seed policy, and even though Timor-Leste is not a signatory to all of them currently, the policy must adhere to these principles and guidelines if the nation ever plans to become signatories (and international recognition / cooperation is high on the government’s wish list). The result can be… confusing. A few examples:

-Local NGOs: We don’t want patents on seeds in Timor-Leste! Protect the small farmer! Promote local seed varieties! Hybrids, GMOs, and Terminators(*), oh my! Don’t force seed on farmers! Boo Monsanto!

-MAF (and/or SoL): Businesses will need assurances in order to invest in the seed sector here! Emphasize production, regardless of where it is from! Even small farmers growing their own seed will need some protection. Hybrids are not necessarily bad… Let’s produce our own hybrid seeds! Inform farmers of their options! Sure, no one likes Terminator seed, but GMOs can be good! Mon$anto, ca-ching!

And there are other considerations: How can Timor-Leste develop a demand for locally-produced seed when imported seed is a higher quality (and a higher quantity)? Should self-sufficiency for seed be a consideration?  Should local seed be incentivized? Who can grow seed? What punishments for seed sector malpractice, and who to punish? The international treaties require some sort of IPR; one option is a “sui generis” type of IPR that is unique to Timor-Leste and developed to fit its needs.  This gives more flexibility than a patent, but can such an IPR be written that satisfies everyone in Timor-Leste and also meets all international requirements?

As you can see, there are many considerations in formulating this draft. The parties did find some common ground on issues like protecting farmers’ rights in a sui generis law (rather than a patent), but in some cases one issue’s agreement was nullified or contradicted when the next issue was discussed. I am curious to see the result, yet hesitant to see if the policy can be both meaningful and capture all of the divergent opinions, even in this small initial working group.


(*)- Terminator seed, aka “Suicide Seed” aka Genetic Use Restriction Technology, is a type of genetically-modified seed designed to be sterile in the second generation. In other words, you plant it once and then it “commits suicide,” or you cannot save it for a future planting. Not synonymous with either hybrid or GMO seed.

Check out my New Media write-up of the World Bank's Maximizing Mobile Report!

The World Bank issued a report recently on mobile technology, IC4D 2012: Maximizing Mobile. You can read it directly here, or you can read my post about it at SIPA's New Media Task Force blog here. Interesting stuff!