Theorizing case studies: check out ISS at Princeton

Princeton's new Innovations for Successful Societies is an interesting initiative. Jennifer Widner, Laura Bacon (a former student) and others are developing materials one can use to learn about innovative solutions to developmental problems. These include case studies, interviews and more. What I like about the materials is that they don't just present a 'best practice' idea or heroic story of success. They provide enough information to enable readers in theorizing about these practices and innovations: you can listen to the protagonists describing why the innovation emerged, what process it emerged from, how people came on board to make it happen, what kinds of political and operational demands it posed, and so forth. If only all development organizations were required to provide background stories like these for the innovations they so easily reproduce everywhere. One wonders if ministers of finance in French speaking African countries would so willingly agree to Medium Term Expenditure Framework reforms if they knew where these ideas came from (select advanced Anglophone countries like Australia), what kind of process MTEFs emerged from in these settings, what kind of political context they demand, what capacities they require etc. Ditto for just about every good, better or best practice one can think of. We need more of what ISS is providing: materials to help theorize what makes a best or innovative practice best or innovative and to assist us in thinking about whether these practices fit into new contexts...or what will be required to facilitate the fit. Visit their web site at http://www.princeton.edu/successfulsocieties/