Personal savings and investment to support structural change are important. The political process can enable or inhibit development. The importance of good government and appropriate democratic institutions to articulate social goals cannot be over-emphasized. Participants were not greatly concerned with the formality of these organizations, but were much more interested in their effectiveness in serving social goals. For these countries, a more appropriate indicator is the capacity, in terms of know-how and wealth, to make the appropriate choice between competing technologies and to develop or adapt technology to fit their own needs.
Cultural indicators are also obviously important, but can be problematic.
They are difficult to quantify, and there is little consensus about which cultural values actually support development. OECD countries exhibit varying attitudes and approaches to support learning, innovation, wealth creation, and social development. There are similar differences found in developing countries.