Insights | Series II | No. 4 | June 2014

What Do Ukrainians Want?

In the confused debate on Ukraine’s whirlwind of change since the fall of its pro-Russian president in February 2014 and Russia’s subsequent takeover of Crimea, one key question has often been lost sight of: What do Ukrainians really want?

One line of thinking portrays Ukraine as riven by ethnic cleavages—Bosnia on the Dniepr—and holds that people in eastern Ukraine might prefer Russian control to Kyiv’s new authorities. Another line of thinking nervously regards Russian troops massed on Ukraine’s eastern frontier and sees Western economic or military assistance as the sole salvation of the hapless former Soviet republic. Yet recent polls show these images don’t square with Ukrainian reality.

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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Africa Roundup: Retailers Have Big Opportunities – But Female Farmers Face Big Problems

If you are involved in retail development in emerging markets, did you know you should be thinking about Rwanda? A recent report highlights important news from Africa: burgeoning (and unexpected) opportunities for the retail sector as the continent’s growth takes off. Another spotlights an important problem holding Africa back: the continuing gender gap confronting women in African agriculture. These stories matter to business people, development specialists, and anyone else concerned with the continent’s future.

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Ask the Survey Doctor: Evaluating Training Programs – A Project Manager’s Guide

Training programs are a frequent component of your international development efforts. So, how do you evaluate training? Learn how to deliver a fuller sense of the results of your program to clients and founders with a “four level” tool that assesses training evaluation research on four levels: reaction, learning, behavior and results.

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