Project management for rural equality; organization design and information management for benefit distribution in less developed countries, v. 1 : research summary and action guidelines

IT CAN ASSIST DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS TO IDENTIFY PROJECT-RELATED DISTRIBUTIVE IMPACTS AND DESIGN PROJECT ORGANIZATIONS WHICH PROMOTE A MORE FAVORABLE BENEFIT DISTRIBUTION. IT SHOULD ASSIST IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR RURAL EQUALITY. IT CONTAINS BOTH A THEORETICAL FOCUS FOR ACADEMICS AND A PRACTICAL FOCUS FOR PROJECT MANAGERS, AND THE FOCUS IS ON INFORMATION PROCESSING. THE GOAL IS TO FIND IF ORGANIZATIONAL ALTERNATIVES INFLUENCE BENEFIT DISTRIBUTION AND IF ORGANIZATION DESIGN CAN BE USED TO AFFECT THAT DISTRIBUTION. THE EMPIRICAL STUDY OF FIFTY SUBPROJECTS IN AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA SHOWS THAT AN INFORMATION-SHARING PERSPECTIVE CAN BE APPLIED TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS; THAT INFORMATION SHARING AMONG SUBPROJECTS IS ASSOCIATED WITH PROJECT RELATED BENEFIT DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS; AND THAT THE ORGANIZATIONAL DIMENSION OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS SHOULD RECEIVE PRIORITY ATTENTION. GUIDELINES ARE GIVEN TO IMPROVE PROJECT ORGANIZATION DESIGN. THE STUDY ALSO EXAMINES THE DEFINITION AND MEASUREMENT OF BENEFIT DISTRIBUTION, THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF HEURISTIC DESIGN TECHNIQUES, AND THE DESIGN OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO MONITOR DISTRIBUTIVE IMPACT. IF AN EFFORT IS TO BE MADE TO REACH THE RURAL POOR, THE DISTRIBUTION OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FUNDS MUST REFLECT THAT INTENTION.