International planning frameworks and practices

¶ … Goal Development

In "The Millennium Development Goals, A Critique from the South" (Amin), the author claims the Millennium Development Goals were not well defined to start off, there was not agreement between the member nations, and the goals have been ignored in large part due to corruptions in governments. The goals were drafted in a backroom instead of by a genuine committee to discuss them. They have no common defined goals.

The author assesses the definitions of the goals, which have a lot of vagueness in respects to how they are defined and analyzed in policies. Policies were not analyzed in processes to clarify the definitions of the goals. Some progress was made, but then lost ground due to reduction in public expenditures and privatization not being examined in fact or theory. The goals were not made priority, therefore are not followed continually, and have become a weak focus for environmental policy. The author makes all this clear in the article with explanations of the goals and the requirements to implement them.

The author also assesses the requirements to implement the goals. The balance of power is unequal because of inequality among society members causing the policies and laws that govern them to be ineffective. The legal system is unbalanced in power between the states and international levels with focus not being on the goals, but instead on debt reduction. The author also makes this clear with explanation.

The content in this article is important for research into the reasons the Millennium Development Goals have failed, the aspects of implemented policy that have been ineffective in supporting the goals, and to determine future policy and actions in efforts to bring back focus on the goals and find ways to make them work. By examining the failures involved, lessons can be learned to bring more effectiveness and efficiency into the future. Mistakes can be brought out in ways they cannot be ignored. Further research can bring about more public awareness that makes the goals a top priority where corruptions in government cannot ignore the goals. Law and policies can be strengthened with more clarity and definition and be more defined for deeper understanding. Research can be done to define the goals more clearly to make the goals and the requirements to implement them better understood. Research can also attempt to bring more understanding between the nations in efforts to determine common goals and agreement.

The author makes valid points in respects to the definitions of the goals and requirements of implementation not being clearly defined. There is not much understanding in the goals as to what the goals are supposed to actually do or what they actually mean. It makes the requirements of implementation hard to understand. With no agreement between the nations, the goals do not have much meaning to society and it makes them easy to ignore. Ineffective policy is another issue that does not help matters in the definitions, requirements, or agreements with nations. The policies are not well defined to be effective in implementing the requirements to meet the goals.