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“So I stumbled on this visitor directed
via Bing to my blog, searching with the keyword: Concept of Development
Planning (Macro, meso, and micro-planning) and resource base and resource
mobilization. Then I thought, since I have prepared the note for this topic of
Development Management (in MPA), why not get it up on the web! So here it is.”
▬But please note that, the following texts are not my brainchild; I
collected the materials available at the remote corners of the Google, and
compiled them. If you find that the following text is from your work, let me
know, and I’ll just add you to the credit list.▬
So… Three. Two. One… Here we go!
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being at Masters Level: “A Thank You” would be nice. Or just give this Blog a “Thumbs-up
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lanning is an appropriate development
path to improve the life of common people. Planning has been defined in many
ways. Planning involves the formulation of a national program of action for
achieving development objectives. A. Waterson defines that planning is, in essence,
an organized, conscious and continual attempt to select the best available
alternatives to achieve specific goals (Waterson 1971, p 26).
Broadly speaking, development planning
is of two types: the central planning and the indicative planning: the former
is practiced in a centralized economy where the role of the state is dominant
in the socio-economic life of the people. Such types of planning were pursued
in socialist countries like the then Soviet Union, North Korea and so forth. In
mixed economics like Nepal, planning takes the form of indicative in nature.
Economics decisions are partly guided by the 'invisible hand' and partly done
by the state intervention. The state sector and the private sector both remain active
and play their respective roles. The role of the public sector is conceived as
that of a facilitator to promote development in the country. The private sector
on the other hand is involved in providing goods and services needed for
economy to move on the growth path.
The need for planning arises from the
inability of the price mechanism to ensure growth, efficiency and equity.
Sometimes the political objective of a nation may dictate the necessity of
planning and the government may need to intervene in the economic activities of
the country.
The more pressings are the development
problems, the greater is the need for planning. Hence, the art of planning is
to intervene in the economy with sufficient vigor to overcome the major
problems without at the same time exceeding the capacity of the civil service and
causing a breakdown of development administration. The proper balance between
intervention and restrain is likely to be both delicate and changing: delicate
because administrative capacity is small and limited, and the problems are
immense; changing because the ability of the management to analyze and resolve
difficulties should increase. (Griffin and Enos. 1970 pp.3-78).
The country may have different objectives
which need to achieve simultaneously such as social, economic, political,
cultural etc. Market forces influence primarily only the economic aspects. In
less developed economies like Nepal, the market mechanism or the price system
does not function with a reasonable degree of efficiency as a mechanism for
allocating investment and other resources in accordance with social demand. The
reasons are many. There are generally unemployed and underemployed resources. A
variety of bottlenecks impede production and distribution. The government
machinery is weak. Price responds haphazardly to changes in supply and demand
because markets are often rudimentary and fettered by rigidities. There are
barriers to the free flow of information. Changes in these circumstances are
often a precondition of development. Development planning seeks to break down
such structural obstacles and achieve growth. Hence, accelerated economic
growth and structural change are the two main aims of development planning.
A development plan contains, among
others, the following features (i) a survey of the current economic situation;
(ii) objectives, targets, strategies and programs for accelerating economic
growth and development (iii) a list of proposed government expenditures (iv) a macroeconomic
projection for the whole economy etc.
Development
Planning and Development Plan
It is worth pointing out the
distinction between development planning and development plan. Development
planning as a process helps the formulation of effective development policies.
The plan is the product of the planning process while the first is the process itself.
The preparation of a plan has advantages because it provides a systematic
approach to co-ordinate development decisions. Further, development plans are
useful for initiating or stimulating development process. Just as there is more
to planning the preparation of a plan so planning does not necessarily require
a formal development plan. However, it needs to be said that a development plan
is not a sufficient or even a necessary condition for ensuring rapid
development.
The Planning
Periods
Development plans are prepared for a
fixed period. Plans are of three kinds-annual plans are used mostly as an
instrument of translating medium-term plan objectives and programs for
implementation. Thus, an annual plan deals with current development activities without
losing sight of medium-term objectives.
A medium term plan-a five-year plan in
the context of Nepal indicates total investment and investment by sectors for
the entire plan period and the targets to be achieved at the end of the plan period.
Medium term plans are not operational plans. In order for them to become
effective guides to action, output and expenditures must be determined for each
year of the plan period. This is accomplished by the formulation of the annual
plans.
Perspective plans usually covering a
period of 10-20 years are less detailed than medium term plans. Such
perspective plans are based on longer-term growth prospects with general
targets based on only rough approximations of the likely supply of, and the
demand for, resources. They provide a good enough idea of priorities to enable planners
to concentrate on the most promising sectors in preparing medium-term plans. They
also indicate, in advance, in what area reinvestment and other surveys will be
required before specific projects/programs can be formulated.
Macro-meso-micro refers to the
level of policy and institutions that govern and influence development
activities in all sectors.►► Get Full Text HERE.
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