Rapid urbanisation which is a characteristic of most developing countries, has led to the importation of readily available solutions and to an overgeneralisation of human needs. The main objective of this study is to relate design to man's social and cultural needs. First, the study demonstrates the relationship between cultural and social variables that influence house form and settlement patterns. This is followed by a comparative case study analysis of existing house-settlement systems in two residential areas; one a modern government built scheme, the other a traditional development, both in the M'Zab, in Southern Algeria. The main assumption was that traditional houses and settlements were culturally more responsive than their modern equivalents. However, results refuted this assumption and indicated that social change affected many of people's values and attitudes towards housing. This indicates that neither international modernism, in housing provision, nor an attempt to slavishly copy past indigenous solutions are likely to be successful. Through studying human-environmental behaviour and using multiple-methods strategies, it is possible to bridge the gap between design and social research. A reorientation of the educational system would help towards a better communication not only between different professional practices and disciplines, but also involving the lay people. Finally, this study suggests that designing for potential adaptability a characteristic of traditional design, reflects culture, and would not only accommodate change, but would also involve active participation by people and therefore raise the level of responsibilty and satisfaction. The research combined evidence from documentary sources and field surveys. A multiple-method strategy was adopted to compare the two settlement systems of the case study. This included direct observation, interviews and trade-off games. The interview survey included three groups of people: the users, the local planning authorities and the building contractors. By stressing the socio-cultural variables, this study does not deny the role of other variables. On the contrary, the author accepts that design activities should aim towards maintaining a balance between environmental factors and financial constraints. It is, however, argued that human needs must be given at least the same degree of importance, if workable solutions to the problem of rapid urbanisation are to be found.

Three arguments are normally presented as rationale for the privatisation of state owned enterprises. The first relates to the problem of the financing of higher levels of public expenditure / the second is based on the viewpoint that private ownership is more efficient than public ownership / whilst the third claims that the losses of inefficient public enterprise are responsible for excessive budget deficits and other fiscal problems.<br /> <br /> Although empirical evidence proves that privatisation enhances economic efficiency, it negatively affects the affordability of and access to essential services, which may have serous consequences for poorer households. This happens through increased prices of essential services, such as electricity and telecommunication, as well as through loss of employment opportunities during and after privatisation.<br /> <br /> Many countries, also in Africa, implemented various types of privatisation programmes over the past two decades in order to decrease the relative size of governments and to improve efficient delivery of services. Towards the end the 1990&rsquo / s and after the tragic genocide, Rwanda&rsquo / s Government of National Unity also embarked on an ambitious restructuring programme of its state-owned enterprises.<br /> The main purpose of this study was to assess the likely impact of privatisation on poor households in developing countries. The report presents a general overview of the literature, with a specific focus on Brazil, Argentina and South Africa. It investigates the experiences of these countries and derives lessons that can be learnt. Finally it assesses the possible impact of the privatisation of essential service delivery on poor households in Rwanda.<br /> <br /> The main conclusion of the study is that governments should look beyond efficiency benefits of restructuring and focus on the overall opportunity cost of the privatisation of essential service delivery. The specific method of privatisation may determine the final social impact. The case studies also highlight the need for more research into the challenges facing the privatisation of essential service delivery. It is clear that any restructuring should be preceded by a thorough analysis of the likely impact on the poorer sections of the community.

The perceived lack of conclusive quantitative evidence on the macroeconomic effects of debt relief in low-income countries has generally blurred the image of debt relief efforts and left the issues of its effectiveness and efficiency open to debate and dispute. This thesis seeks to shed more light on the subject by providing some further empirical evidence. This objective is achieved by performing an empirical investigation of two effects of debt relief. First, the study examines the debt relief-new borrowing relationship in a multivariable regression framework. The results that emerge suggest that, on average, debt relief can be beneficial in reducing the future new borrowing of Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs). This conclusion, to some extent, is in line with the goals of HIPCs debt relief initiatives in reducing external debt burdens of those countries to sustainable levels. However, it presents a challenge to the views of William Easterly on the ???perverse incentive effects??? of ???continuing waves??? of debt relief that are said to lead to further debt accumulation of a similar magnitude to replace old cancelled debt. Second, the analysis explores the influence of debt relief on domestic investment behaviour in developing countries. Debt relief is found to have a positive effect on domestic investment in countries with good policy environments. This result suggests that debt relief would be more effective in promoting domestic investment if it were more cautiously conditioned on sound policy frameworks.