6 Surfacing assumptions
In the very earliest stages of conceptualising and planning an intervention, it is essential that development actors reflect on their own perspective. The personal views and opinions that they bring to the process. These are sometimes described as ‘assumptions’. Assumptions are made about many different things, such as:
- the conditions in the external environment you think you can rely on (for example, ‘Civil war will not erupt’; or ‘El Niño will not disrupt the planting season’)
- the ways in which change will happen (slowly/quickly, planned/unplanned)
- the values, norms and beliefs underlying a development intervention
- Values are moral convictions and ethical standpoints that are, to an extent, non-negotiable. For example, regarding gender equity or open access to certain resources.
- Norms are expected ways of doing things that are taken for granted. For example, arriving for meetings on time (which is important in Germany, although not necessarily in Italy).
- Beliefs include generalisations, often closely linked to values, which influence how you interpret the world around you.
Surfacing assumptions and interrogating them is a form of project risk management. If the assumptions are rigorously challenged, the project is more likely to be grounded in reality and successful.