Centre for Development Informatics

Understanding Development Project Implementation:An Actor-Network Perspective on Local-Global Interactions

Richard Heeks & Carolyne Stanforth

Centre for Development Informatics, IDPM

University of Manchester, UK

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/cdi

Centre for Development Informatics

Centre for Development Informatics

Development Projects: Knowledge Gaps

• The ‘inner workings’ of development projects

• The connection to project trajectories

• Politics and power within projects

Centre for Development Informatics

Law & Callon: Local/Global Networks

• Global network: resource-providing

• Local network: project-implementing

• Project as OPP between local and global

Degree of attachment ofactors in global network

Degree of mobilisation oflocal network

actorsWEAK, DISAGGREGATING

PROJECT

High

High

Low

Low

SOLID, INDISPENSABLE

PROJECT

Centre for Development Informatics

The Sri Lanka PEMS Project

ADB

Senior MoF

Institute of Public

Finance

Consultants Line Ministry

staffState Accounts Dept staff

National Budget

Dept staffCIGAS/TAS

Global Network

Local Network

Project as OPP

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PEMS Project Trajectory

• Phase One: Initiation and Consultant Strategy

• Phase Two: Crisis and Redesign

• Phase Three: Delivery and Completion

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PEMS Project Network Analysis

High

Low

HighLow

F

BC

GD

E

Degree of attachment of actors in global

network

Degree of mobilisation of

local network actors

Centre for Development Informatics

Conclusions: ANT and Development Projects

• Insights into inner workings

• Trajectory is more than success/failure

• Trajectory as a function of networks and OPP

• “Power to” not “Power over”

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Conclusions: ANT and Practice

• Subjectivity of selection

• Flexible, improvised approach to projects

• Relational, political approach to projects

Richard Heeks & Carolyne Stanforth

cdi@manchester.ac.uk

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/cdi