Title: Planning in Developing Countries: Lessons of Experience
Abstract: Planning involves anticipating the future and formulating systematic programs of action to attain desired goals. This paper is concerned with national economic planning as attempted by most developing countries after World War II for the purpose of accelerating their development. A review of the evolution of planning in developing countries emphasizes the political circumstances and economic paradigms that led to the surge of planning efforts. A typology of planning is based on the intensity of planning efforts. The successes and failures of planning are examined in the paper, and a comment on emerging trends is included. Three main conclusions emerge from this study: (i) planning in most developing countries has failed to live up to expectations; (ii) the technical, administrative, and political causes of the failure of comprehensive planning are unlikely to be remedied merely by more strenuous efforts to strengthen the planning machinery; and (iii) planning should be reoriented through streamlining the incentive system and public investment program and through emphasizing consultations, flexibility, selectivity, and coordination.
Publication Year: 1984
Publication Date: 1984-07-01
Language: en
Type: book
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Cited By Count: 17
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