Keynote lecture at the NED University, Karachi on 30th March, 2012.

1. From NED to Ouagadougou
Some lessons in development
practice
By
Mansoor Ali

2. Health warning!
• Looking back makes a good story
• Relevance to Pakistan
• This is just one pathway
• Not much about secondary cities

3. Journey
• From NED (1980 – 1985) to
some of the most recent work
in Ouagadougou (Burkina
Faso)
• Key challenges and learning

4. Hunger for the chang; the final project (1983)

6. From NED to Orangi
• Students for Orangi and Baldia
• Learning from Dr Akhtar Hameed Khan
and Arif Hasan
• Potential and limitations of our studies
• Learning from the common people
• Building on the existing capabilities
• First training on writing and reflections

7. Father’s aspirations and the support
from NED (1984)

8. Upgrading Slums in Quetta (1986)
• More conventional surveys and work
• Working with Quetta Development
Authority
• First exposure to Rural Deprivation

9. Working with KMC (1990-92)
• Understanding the official systems
• Keep learning about the real systems
• Realization of ‘different worlds’
• Debate with the city mayor

10. Prof John Pickford at WEDC,
Loughborough UK (1992)

11. Finding a global context (1994)
• Billions of people without basic services
• Expectations from technical professionals

12. Key Learning at WEDC
• Understanding different perspectives
• Learning about research and writing
• From teaching to learning

13. Feeling the pride (2000)
papers, books, funds …..

14. Rejecting the pride ..
All this bring the fame but where is
the change?
So, who is
benefitting
from all
this? Me?

15. Move to Practical Action (Intermediate
Technology) (2006)
• Many projects on the ground
• Strong Philosophy
• A good name
• Importance of young leadership

16. Work in Ouagadougou (2011)
• Working with CREPA/ WSA
• Young Technical Professionals in Africa
• Appreciating good ways of working methods
of Gates Foundation
– Collaborative working
– Innovation
– Less writing more talking
– Importance of change

17. Changing role of Technical
Professionals
• Working for the majority – urban poor
• From technology to systems – then technology
• The issues are multidisciplinary in nature
• From controlled conditions to the complex
realities
• From knowledge to change
• From a final book to an engagement process
• An ability to understand the larger picture

19. Thanks to my teachers …
From NED (1985) to NED
(2012) – NED say NED tak