The MCC is seeking input from public and private sector practitioners, and researchers for sound methodology to help determine an objective and quantifiable indicator to evaluate a country's commitment to the sustainable management of natural resources.Congressional legislation requires the MCC to try and come up with an indicator on natural resources management. The idea has been around since the beginning, and everyone agrees that it is important.Everyone also agrees that no such indicator exists. It is really more difficult than many other indicators because natural resources management means different things: water, soil, air, forests, mineral resources, etc.Good policies aimed at reducing air pollution in China would be entirely different from good policies in Niger related to the desert, fisheries in Ecuador or forestry in Indonesia. The difference between measuring the state of the resource, i.e. the level of air pollution, versus an actual policy, which is what the MCC is looking for, makes it all the more difficult.This is not a sign of desperation on the part of the MCC, but rather it reflects sensibility. As CGD Senior Fellow Steve Radelet did in his book Challenging Foreign Aid, many people have called for the MCC to tap outside expertise for this indicator.It would be great if the MCC succeeded in finding a natural resources management indicator. If not, this process at least clearly fulfills the congressional requirement to try to find an indicator.Read the full announcement and related documents
