Abstract:
There are several development programmes being implemented in rural societies to
uplift the living standard of people, particularly during last two decades by many
government institutions and NGOs, although, the poverty is still remaining in these
areas. The question is whether the investments on such programs were effective or not.
After the tsunami, in Hambantota district, about 70 local and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) were working in coastal villages to develop these
communities. However, conventional development indicators do not show a remarkable
development in these societies after spending a huge sum of money. This may be due to
either all money spent on development is not effective or the indicators used cannot
capture the development.
This paper discusses the applicability of Transformational Development Indicators
(TDIs) to measure the development process in poor communities. Five tsunami
devastated villages - Kirinda, Andaragasyaya, Pallemalala, Wediwewa and Bundala- of
Hambantota district were selected for the study where NGOs were working in
community development programs. Socio-economic profile of the villages was
collected from relevant government officers for three consecutive years from 2005.
Information on TDIs was collected by a questionnaire survey (n=180), Focus Group
Discussions (FGDs) and direct or participatory observations. TDIs were observed under
categories of child development, gender issues, family resilience and transformation,
community transformation and system transformation. All indicators were measured in
the five point scale from -2 to +2. The non-parametric KW statistics were employed to
analyze the data.
Results revealed that, although, the average family income has not been significantly
increased in real terms during last three years, the TDIs showed significant
improvements in the aspects of child development, gender related issues and family
resilience. However, some indicators of system transformation did not show a
significant improvement.
It can be concluded that TDIs are better to measure community development compared
to conventional development indicators in rural communities. The invisible but
important aspects of development such as social values can be effectively captured
through TDIs although it is impossible to measure in monetary terms. Further research
to develop TDIs to measure in quantitative terms is recommended.
