Introduction: Development Planning and Poverty Reduction

Abstract

This book offers a multidisciplinary approach to development planning and poverty reduction, in that the social analysis of projects and programmes informs the economic models used at both micro and macro levels to assess the distributive effects of development interventions. Kanbur (2002) argues that mainstream economics has tried to operate in isolation in development policy analysis, unaware of its weaknesses. It might equally be argued that social analysis sometimes ignores economic implications. As White (2002) suggests, more might be gained from a ‘productive synergy’ between quantitative and qualitative approaches. This book is intended to contribute towards such a synergy.