1. THE KBLAY OBJECTIVE CRITERIA MODEL FOR DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT
(KBlay OCM 2016)
Summary
SORP = Social‐oriented, Socially Profitable and Socially Responsive
BOMREM = Business Oriented, Market Responsive and Economically Measurable
Details
This simple but radical and rich model is intended to serve as a quick field toolkit for
development practitioners reviewing and appraising development policies and their
objectives thereof in corporate and public sectors.
This model springs from my definition of development authored in 2009 under “New
Development Concepts and Definitions” which defines development as a change for the
better founded on four pillars. Here, development refers to changes in the socio‐cultural, socio‐
economic, socio‐environmental and politico‐psychological conditions of a people for the better so
that the people realise an improvement in their standard of living. Note the four pillars (dimensions)
identified:
 socio‐cultural
 socio‐economic
 socio‐environmental
 politico‐psychological
Note also the emphasis on the word people; for it is the concept of development of the impacted
people, or the target beneficiaries (people) that matters most. It is what they see and accept as
change in their lives for the better that is of essence as development. It is not what the benefactor
and its implementing agents conceive as development that matters most.
Development, to be meaningful, has to be a tandem change. For example, an isolated positive
change in socio‐economic condition that results in unmitigated negative environmental change
cannot be described as development because it leaves the people worse off than they were before
the change.
This quadri‐positive change model imposes a robust project impact assessment to ensure that
project impacted people, or target intervention beneficiaries do not suffer deterioration in their
well‐being. The four pillars are hereafter condensed into two as Social Development and
Economic Development.
No matter where and by whom a development policy is generated, if it has to bring about
development, it can only manifest in two basic forms: Social or Economic, or both in tandem
even for a better outcome. And the accompanying policy objectives need to underline the
particular character of the policy.

2. The objective criteria for social development policy characterise it as social‐oriented,
socially profitable and socially responsive (SORP). In this context, the residual approach
relates to anything which is not economic.
The objective criteria for economic development policy characterise it as business (growth)
oriented, market responsive and economically measurable (BOMREM).
Like SMART (which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time‐bound)
for Goal Template word, SORP and BOMREM are the Objective Criteria words or toolkit for
development policy managers and consultants. They are encouraged to profusely apply
SORP and BOMREM to gauge the responsiveness of policy objectives to economic and social
development in policy review and appraisal assignments.
Ketiboa Blay is a socioeconomic development management specialist with outstanding
expertise in baseline research; community needs assessment, community development
planning; and projects, programmes and policy technical review and evaluation. He has
considerable expertise also in conflict management. As a non‐denominational Christian
evangelist, Mr Blay is also a peacebuilder.