If there’s one thing I’ve learned at UNDP, it’s that good development projects don’t just happen.

Here at UNDP in Kosovo*, I have seen well-designed and delivered programmes change the lives of people in rural areas. In the last year alone, over 1,100 people found jobs thanks to our projects throughout Kosovo and earn more money than they used to.

But when I’m asked to give good advice, I’m just as guilty as everyone else in repeating jargon and buzzword-filled sentences like “design for the community with the community,” “build on local context and leverage local potential,” or “partners assume concerted roles.”

But what do these sentences actually mean in practice?

As confusing as they sound, these aphorisms do carry nuggets of wisdom. Today I wanted to look at each of them in more detail, and to demystify development in the process

See at: http://www.eurasia.undp.org/content/rbec/en/home/blog/2017/10/9/What-does-joining-hands-really-mean-Lessons-from-rural-Kosovo.html