Unlocking 10x ROI in Global Development Challenges

Global development sees progress in child mortality, but 150M kids remain stunted, and 70% can't read. Smarter spending is crucial.

Decoge

Feb 17, 2025 2 min read

Summary

Recent discussions on global development reveal a mixed bag of progress and challenges. While indicators like child mortality and school enrollment have seen significant improvement, there remains a pressing issue of children not thriving as expected. A staggering 150 million children were reported as stunted in 2022, and 70% of 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries struggle to read simple passages. The world is lagging on over 85% of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

Highlights

📈 Improved Indicators: Key indicators such as child mortality and school enrollment have reached historical highs.
📉 Current Challenges: Despite more children surviving, many are not thriving, with nearly 150 million stunted children globally.
📚 Learning Crisis: 70% of 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries cannot read a simple passage, indicating a global learning crisis.
🍽️ The "Free Lunch" Concept: With advancements in data, computing power, and research methods, notably randomized controlled trials, there are opportunities for interventions offering 10x returns on investment.

Key Insights

💡 Spending Smarter: The focus should be on spending smarter, not necessarily more, by directing funds towards underfunded, yet transformative ideas.
👨‍🏫 Education System Insights: School enrollment is higher, but this hasn't translated into effective learning outcomes, highlighting a global learning crisis.
🧑‍🏫 Pedagogical Challenges: Teachers face immense challenges with varying student levels in a single classroom, making it difficult to cater to all.
📊 Technology's Role: While technology like MindSpark shows promise, it requires teacher support to be effective.
📝 Low-tech Interventions: Programs like remedial after-school tutoring can be highly effective and cost-efficient.
🚀 10x ROI Opportunities: There are numerous opportunities across sectors for interventions with high returns on investment.
🏛️ Government's Role: Improving government effectiveness is crucial for global development, especially in reaching the poor who are often overlooked by market forces.
🌍 Optimism for the Future: Through data and evidence, there is potential for substantial progress in global development, though collaboration with governments is essential.

Conclusion

In a world facing challenges like economic slowdown, climate change, and post-pandemic effects, there is an opportunity to accelerate global development by spending smarter. The key lies in leveraging data to improve public expenditure effectiveness and working closely with governments to reach the underserved populations.