BOOK REVIEW
Book Title: Managing Sustainable Development Programmes: A Learning Approach to Change
Author: Göran Brulin, Lennart Svensson
Publisher: Gower Publishing Limited
List Price: $170.00
Format: hardcover, 232 pages
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 9781409437192
Reviewer: Jemillatu Lewally
Review Date: November 2023
Introduction
In this book, Brulin and Svensson use their experience from the EU Structural Funds programme (Regional and Social Funds) in Sweden to discuss what they refer to as “a more rational and effective” way to implement public development programmes. The main takeaway is that for development projects to be sustainable, they must move from the traditional programme management methods to one that puts more emphasis on the long-term impacts created, rather than on successfully achieving goals and activities developed.
Overview of Book’s Structure
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- List of Figures and tables
- Foreword
- About the Authors
- Chapter 1 – Running Programmes for Sustainable Development
- Chapter 2 – Models of Change and Evaluation
- Chapter 3 – Key Research Findings
- Chapter 4 – Evaluation for Sustainable Development
- Chapter 5 – Lessons from Earlier Programme Initiatives
- Chapter 6 – Lessons from Competence Initiatives
- Chapter 7 – Innovation and Regional Fund
- Chapter 8 – Owning, Steering and Evaluating Large Programmes
- Afterward
- References
- Index
Highlights
- The distinction between activities, results and goal-achievements and that of long-term effects in the implementation of sustainable development programmes. The book emphasizes that long-term effects determine sustainability as opposed to the focus on the achievement of prescribed activities and results/goals. However, However, “The problem in evaluation contexts is that it is very difficult to really pinpoint the contribution that a project makes in creating a multiplier effect.”.
- Successfully achieving the implementation of activities can often be seen as the goal in itself for sustainable development. Sustainable development can lead to learning and long-term effects while activities are the instruments used to achieve the goal.
More…
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How to cite this work: Lewally, J. I. (2023). Managing Sustainable Development Programmes, book review, PM World Journal, Vol. XII, Issue XII, December. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/pmwj136-Dec2023-Lewally-managing-sustainable-development-programmes-book-review.pdf
About the Reviewer
Jemillatu I. Lewally
McKinney, Texas, United States
Jemillatu Lewally is a PMP certified, multi-skilled Project Manager, passionate about international development and ESG-focused project management. She has over 20 years of experience in international development management, public policy and governance, particularly in citizen-state engagement. She has coordinated and managed several socio-economic development projects in various sectors from health, gender, agriculture and construction.
Jemillatu has volunteered by providing project management services for the PMI Atlanta Chapter, Community Consulting Teams of Atlanta and the Hope Foundation in Georgia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone, a Master of Public Policy from the Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA and a Master of Arts in International Development Management from the University of Bradford, UK. She can be contacted at jemilla2@yahoo.com
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