Thoughts on making development effective

So I want a career in International Development. The management student in me, the cynic in me and the defense in me that rises when I know that others will be undoubtedly cynical towards me demands that the work I do be ethical, effective and efficient. I genuinely want to help out and I want to make sure I do it well so that I can be sure what I'm doing is a good thing (and not just wasteful and overly self-serving).

Some International Development uni notes I found on the net by UniMelb define International Development as:

Relates to the development of greater quality of life for humans
•    Therefore encompasses foreign aid, governance, healthcare, education, poverty reduction, gender equality, disaster preparedness, infrastructure, economics, human rights, environment and issues associated with these
•    Focus can be international OR national
•    Seeks to implement long-term, sustainable solutions to issues

All things that are appealing to me!

WhyDev.org is a blog I think will be an online bible of sorts for me as it's an information blog about ID.

One awesome article I read was this one by Alison Rabe: http://www.whydev.org/send-them-to-the-field/

She talks about how expat development workers should spend more time working away from the capitals of the developing country and more time in the country. What particularly caught my attention was that she seemed to intimately tap into exactly who I am as a person and what I want to achieve... strikingly accurate and it makes me really think that this could be the lifelong vocation for me.......

" Working in the field would give development workers an opportunity to have a new lifestyle, localize their experiences and knowledge, cut costs, and ultimately give them the ability to do their jobs and deliver aid more effectively and efficiently."

" This may be true for some people that work in development, but much like we came into this field to help people, we also did it because we love living in a totally different place, we are fascinated by cultural differences, we enjoy ethnic foods, and, again, we have a heart for the disadvantaged. If this fact isn’t enough, development jobs could be re-drawn to attract people who are dedicated and passionate about foreign culture, language, and people, not just wanting an opportunity to be cool living in a city where they can have a fancy Western lifestyle. Job advertisements should promote cultural intimacy from the beginning."

All I can say is yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.............. just yes.

Working in the field would give development workers an opportunity to have a new lifestyle, localize their experiences and knowledge, cut costs, and ultimately give them the ability to do their jobs and deliver aid more effectively and efficiently. - See more at: http://www.whydev.org/send-them-to-the-field/#sthash.BolGTyda.dpuf

Working in the field would give development workers an opportunity to have a new lifestyle, localize their experiences and knowledge, cut costs, and ultimately give them the ability to do their jobs and deliver aid more effectively and efficiently. - See more at: http://www.whydev.org/send-them-to-the-field/#sthash.BolGTyda.dpuf

Working in the field would give development workers an opportunity to have a new lifestyle, localize their experiences and knowledge, cut costs, and ultimately give them the ability to do their jobs and deliver aid more effectively and efficiently. - See more at: http://www.whydev.org/send-them-to-the-field/#sthash.BolGTyda.dpuf

Working in the field would give development workers an opportunity to have a new lifestyle, localize their experiences and knowledge, cut costs, and ultimately give them the ability to do their jobs and deliver aid more effectively and efficiently. - See more at: http://www.whydev.org/send-them-to-the-field/#sthash.BolGTyda.dpuf