This is the conclusion of our interview with David Wheeler, author of Creating Sustainable Local Enterprise Networks. The entire interview is available here.

Describe the implications of your research for development strategies. How could development agencies use your findings to get the most impact for their grants and loans?

I approach this question with some trepidation and humility having spent most of the 1980s in the world of ‘development’. In my view, our friends and colleagues in the bilateral and NGO development agencies need a new song to sing. Most importantly they need to get over their fear of the private sector and go into a period of deep introspection about their potential future roles as enablers of human development through enterprise. Some of the most progressive ones are actually edging towards this.