The management of development assistance projects: past, present and future

International development has been an active research field for almost fifty years. Most authors agree on the overall failure of development assistance projects (DAP), even though some results may be encouraging. The high failure rate of these projects requires reflection. Far from opposing a pessimistic take to the exaggerated optimism of the past, this paper attempts to reconcile the future of the management of development projects with their present, bearing in mind the 21st century challenges that both affluent and poor countries have to face together. The paper calls for a better management of development projects within a conceptual framework that allows the monitoring of its success.