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• Thomas, A. (1996). 'What is development management?'. Journal of International Development 8(1): 95-110.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1328(199601)8:1<95::AID-JID348>3.0.CO;2-B
What is distinctive about development management? This paper first discusses different views of development and management separately, and goes on to characterize development management both as management in the context of development as a long-term historical process and as the management of deliberate efforts at progress by means of intervention in the social change process on the part of a variety of agencies. Thus development management should be thought of in terms of process and is distinctive in aiming at social goals external to any particular organization in the context of value-based conflicts. The paper concludes with a list of conceptual and skill areas which this view implies are important to development management as a new academic and professional field.