If my observations have any validity, they apply primarily to Latin America. The success or failure of any project is clearly related to the cultural setting in which the assistance is provided. I think one can reasonably classify civic action and community development programs into four groups with regard to their visibility and outcome. Highly Visible and Highly Successful. By highly successful, I refer to an activity that brings genuine health, educational, or economic improvement for the people of the area in question.
Road building is a good example.
When roads are under construction, everyone in the area is aware of who is doing the job. Roads unmistakably contribute to the economic development of an area but they also contribute to educational development. One of the most powerful determinants of a Guatemalan Indian's ability to speak Spanish, which is extremely important for the peasants of that country, is the proximity of the Indian's home to a road leading to the departmental capital. Highly Visible but Not Successful. Unhappily, many projects fall into this category.