Hitting the Target and Missing the Point

Abstract

This article examines the policy of using target-setting and measurement to deliver on the United Nations’ (UN) development goals. Using evidence from similar monitoring and management strategies in the United Kingdom (UK), we question the purpose of using process and outcome targets and suggest that this approach can be counter-productive. It can also lead to a situation where maintaining public relations and image is prioritised at the expense of making real impacts on key development issues. While the UN's aims are praiseworthy, we suggest that the somewhat simplistic methodology adopted is damaging to the very people that the UN is seeking to help.