Whose Development – Examining the Extent to Which Development Actors Align with Communities’ Interests

Whose Development? by Tendai Murisa is a critical interrogation of contemporary development practice, questioning who development truly serves and how it is defined. The book challenges dominant, top-down models, arguing that many interventions have failed because they are misaligned with the lived realities, priorities, and agency of local communities.

Grounded in empirical analysis and multidisciplinary inquiry, the book examines the roles of governments, NGOs, and philanthropic actors, highlighting how they can both enable and constrain community-driven development. It makes a compelling case for repositioning local agency, collective action, and civic capacity at the centre of development processes.

Ultimately, the book is both a critique and a reimagining—calling for a shift towards participatory, locally grounded approaches that empower communities to shape their own development pathways and sustain their livelihoods.