It is puzzling when new technologies are provided but get neglected, when improved products and services are made but not bought, when people are trained but can’t apply, or when capital is provided but businesses fail to grow. These and more puzzles happen in Africa under different development efforts.
Developing African communities has been a puzzle for most development efforts. Even after decades of constant aid, African communities remain as poor as ever! Why? Today some have theorized that the problem is the aid itself and should be stopped. But that can’t be! That is like taking fire away from the meat. The aid is not the problem, the problem is the ways aid is used to bring about development. They are not sustainable. Aid should not be scrapped instead these ineffective ways should be improved and made sustainable.
One way of improving development efforts is targeting producers instead on focusing on solving community problems temporarily when they can be solved permanently if the community producers are modernized. Also when producers are targeted o
Providing just solutions to community problems instead on focusing on helping people modernise how they produce and providing few uncoordinated upgrades to producers is the reason why the funds that make it to the communities don’t make a lasting effect.
When an upgrade is provided to producers it requires a new system of doings things if it is to cause any benefit. In absence of such a system the upgrade becomes unsustainable.
The combination and interaction of these six categories create the system needed for development. Providing improvements in all the six areas at once is the complete upgrade effort. These six areas are:
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Technology usage includes mechanization and production processes/techniques that enable cheaper, easier, and efficient production.
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Product development involves all the ways of preparing products and services for the market, such as value addition and creation of new and better products and services.
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Business organization is how producers are organized as a business. Whether their organizations allow investment, raising of capital from different sources and enforce better business operation better product development, better business management etc.
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Business operation, how the daily business of making and selling products and services is done. The business strategies or behaviors essential for profitability and business success, such as better leadership, improved business models, marketing models, new products new standards, branding, marketing, outsourcing, advertising etc.
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Capital investment: How capital is employed in production so as to afford improved technology, carry out proper organization, implement proper business operation, ensure proper business management etc.
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Business management: How and who does the management of the daily business of producing and selling goods and services? What skills and knowledge the managers at all levels of production have to ensure proper capital investment, proper business operation etc…? In short the condition of the labor taking part in the production.
The Complete Upgrade Effort 