Recipes for creating development have changed radically since the international community first thought to intervene in such historical processes soon after WWII. During this time, views about how to measure development have also changed dramatically, moving from relatively simple to relatively complex measurement systems. This paper charts these changes using both the oral interview histories and retrospective book accounts given by those involved with the UNDP, and offers an analysis of their ‘political economy of numbers’. Their move from using GNP per head to the SDGs is analysed in terms of the potential performativity of those numbers in prompting development and for creating accountability.

中文翻译：

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衡量发展——从联合国的角度

自从二战后不久国际社会第一次想到干预这样的历史进程以来，创造发展的秘诀已经发生了根本性的变化。在此期间，关于如何衡量发展的观点也发生了巨大变化，从相对简单的衡量系统转向了相对复杂的衡量系统。本文利用与联合国开发计划署相关人员提供的口头采访历史和回顾性账簿记录来描绘这些变化，并分析了他们的“数字政治经济学”。从这些数字在促进发展和建立问责制方面的潜在表现力分析了他们从使用人均国民生产总值到可持续发展目标的转变。