Equitable and sustainable development that actualises on the nature of a particular area/people and leverages the potential available is the striving of all nations. Governments, the voluntary sector and communities have to focus on improving welfare of people, fuelling the engines of economic growth, building intrinsic capability and strength in the human resources of the region, while also protecting the environment and natural resources. The challenges of the volatile macro environment, and the environmental and social impacts of various interventions that are frequently difficult to determine, are critical to be assessed in the design of development strategies.

Development is a long road and the process is not hurdle-free, nor it is simple. It requires frequent stock-taking and addressing of critical issues that constrain development in its social, economic, natural and technological aspects. In our continually changing world, structures, policies and interventions that have been created also need to be continually reviewed and moulded to newer needs, constraints and opportunities. Apart from historical inequities, the process of development often creates additional inequalities and environmental risks, and policies and programs must be shaped to remove all inequities and risks.

Institutions as agents of delivery of development interventions are key forces in shaping the lives of people, and institutional quality is a key determinant of implementation success. However, development institutions are frequently slow to change, and are often characterised by low skill-levels. Welldesigned development programmes sometimes fail to deliver on their objectives because of low capacity of the institution of delivery. Assistance, direct and indirect, in the development of these institutions and in the management of the programmes themselves would enhance development effectiveness.

Today, more than ever, strength lies in bonding. Collaborations, networking and partnerships have become processes for creating greater value for the customer or beneficiary community. However, these are decidedly tightrope acts, and collaborations in which partner value systems collide or equal and distinct value is not created by each partner, would cause grief. Networks too require consistent efforts to generate value in terms of knowledge, information or influence, else become vapid or descend into dormancy.

Workshops, conferences, seminars, campaigns and other such events require special skills, considerable time and human resources and concentrated efforts. Each calls for specialised technical knowledge, along with critical understanding of participants and audiences and behavioural processes, as well as significant management capability and capacity.