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Clements, P. (1999). 'Informational standards in development agency management'. World Development 27(8): 1359-1381.
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=44240113&Fmt=7&clientId=44986&RQT=309&VName=PQD
How well do international development agencies support development in poor countries? Idealist, legal-bureaucratic, and populist views insist that they often do good job, and documentary evidence suggests that aid generally works (Cassen and Associates, 1994). Realist, neomarxist and neoliberal critiques, however, suggest that documents may not be reliable. Evidence is presented of informational standards and development impacts from four US Agency for International Development (USAID) and four World Bank projects in Africa. Significant positive bias is found in project documents; promotional and analytical purposes often collide. Weak informational standards undermine incentives to manage for impact and reduce the prospects for bureaucratic learning.