Social work and international development share a common ground through the social mandates that they hold: to combat poverty and inequality and to contribute to the attainment of social justice and human rights. What differentiates them is the theoretical and methodological approaches and social structures and mechanisms which they have used over the course of time to pursue these common goals.

The hallmark of the social work profession is its capacity to adapt to rapid changing social environments and generate social action tailored for the most relevant needs of disadvantaged populations, while at the same time tackling increasing economic and political pressures at the national and local level, amid changing welfare policies. In the globalized world, this capacity becomes key for setting coherent social development goals and for maximizing their attainment through adequate implementation.