Class Lecture 2
Course Name: Development
Theories and Administration
Course Code: PA-413
Topic: CHAPTER 1
MARUFA AKTER
Assistant Professor
Department of Public Administration
University of Barishal
Generally in measuring development, a series of indicators in different
social fields, mainly economics has been considered to describe how a
particular society has progressed over the time. There are other phrases
that have become important in the public debate trying to explain what
development really means to a society. Among these we have: “Well-
being”, “Societal Progress”, Quality of Life”, “Human Development”, etc.
The Istanbul Declaration represents the existing consensus amid all
those who share a common interest in promoting this debate, who
participated in the Second World Forum on Statistics, Knowledge and
Policy.
It was signed in June 2007 by the European Commission, the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the
Organization of the Islamic Conference, the United Nations, the United
Nations Development Program and the World Bank.
In the Declaration, all its signatories affirm their commitment to measuring
and fostering the progress of societies in all their dimensions and to
supporting initiatives at the country level. In order to take further actions
they call to: Encourage communities to consider for themselves what
“progress” means in the 21st century; Share best practices on the
measurement of societal progress and increase the awareness of the need
to do so using sound and reliable methodologies; Stimulate international
debate, based on solid statistical data and indicators, on both global issues
of societal progress and comparisons of such progress; Produce a broader,
shared, public understanding of changing conditions, while highlighting
areas of significant change or inadequate knowledge; Advocate
appropriate investment in building statistical capacity, especially in
developing countries, to improve the availability of data and indicators
needed to guide development programs and report on progress toward
international goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals.
Human Development Index (HDI) was introduced to measure human
development. This index focuses in the three basic dimensions
mentioned above using four basic indicators:
(1) life expectancy at birth, as a proxy measure of a population’s health
and longevity;
(2) adult literacy rate and combined gross enrolment ratio, as measure
of knowledge and education;
Finally, (3) GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP) as measure
of a decent standard of living.
Developed Country
The developed country is a sovereign state with a strong economy and modern technological
infrastructure relative to other less developed countries. Most generally, the parameters for
determining the degree of economic growth are the gross domestic product ( GDP), gross
national product ( GNP), per capita income, level of industrialization, substantial infrastructure
and general living standards. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “The country with a lot of
industrial activity and where people generally have high incomes”.
Characteristics of Developed Countries
higher per capita income
Rate of unemployment is low
High Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Guaranteed Security
Heavy emphasis on health
Heavy emphasis on education
Low Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)
Life Expectancy
Developing country
The developing country is a term generally used to describe a nation with a low level of
material well-being. According to the World Bank, a developing country is one in which
the majority lives on far less money—with far fewer basic public services—than the
population in highly industrialized countries (Fathelrahman et al., 2016).
Characteristics of Developing Countries
High Population burden
Lower level of national and per capita incomes
Dependence on Agriculture and slower pace of industrialization
The slow pace of technological advancement
Security Not Guaranteed
Minimal Health Facilities
Uncontrolled Population Development
The Unemployment Rate
Underdeveloped Countries
An underdeveloped country is a country characterized by chronic widespread poverty and less
economic development than other nations. These countries have very low per capita income
and many residents live in very poor conditions, including lacking access to education and
health care.
Characteristics of Underdeveloped Countries
Rate of employment is very low
Lowest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita
Mass Illiteracy
Have a poor government
Lack of Capital formation
Agricultural Backwardness
Heavy Population Pressure
Many dependencies on foreign aid
Political Instability
Dimensions
According to D Goulet, true development has several dimensions. They are:
a. An economic component dealing with creation of wealth and improved
conditions of material life, equitably distributed;
b. A social ingredient measured as well-being in health, education, housing and
employment;
c. A political dimension including such values as human rights, political freedom,
enfranchisement, and some form of democracy;
d. A cultural dimension in recognition of the fact that cultures confer identity and
self-worth to people;
e. The full-life paradigm, which refers to meaning systems, symbols, and beliefs
concerning the ultimate meaning of life and history; and
f. A commitment to ecologically sound and sustainable development so that the
present generation does not undermine the position of future generations.
