Development Planning

Concepts and Tools for Planners, Managers and Facilitators

Reidar Dale

This new textbook in development planning aims to provide a comprehensive and practically relevant guide to strategic planning at postgraduate and practitioner level. The author aims to bridge the unfortunate gap that now exists between much development planning theory and planning practice. He also promotes a more value-based, action-centred and organization-inclusive approach to development planning than is normally presented in textbooks on planning.

The book explores the different concepts of development and development planning. It introduces a simple model of strategic planning, and then elaborates more complex arrangements. The author operationalizes various aspects and processes of planning, and critically analyses the tools involved, always in the context of more fundamental planning concerns. Specific topics include logical framework analysis, the use of indicators, process planning schemes, principles and tools of prioritization, and dimensions of participation and community institution building. The analysis consistently progresses from the theoretical and conceptual to the practical and specific

‘A seminal contribution to an action-centred paradigm of planning for development.’
HELLMUT  W  EGGERS 
formerly Head of the Evaluation Division Directorate General for Development of the European Commission

‘The author's wealth of practical experience and profound theoretical knowledge are clearly reflected in the present book. I wholeheartedly recommend it for students, practitioners and theorists of development planning and, indeed, development studies more broadly.’
HANS DETLEF KAMMEIER 
Professor Emeritus, AIT, Thailand

‘A highly important and useful book. … One particularly commendable feature is its use of lots of practical examples to explain different concepts and applications of planning.’
W M LEELASENA
Director, Southern Province Rural Economic Advancement Project,
Sri Lanka

Dr. Reidar Dale is currently Associate Professor of Development Planning and Management at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok, Thailand. For 25 years he has been working in the field of development planning and management in a variety of developing countries – as a planner, manager, researcher, evaluator and university lecturer. For much of this period (1979–87; 1990–94) he worked with the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).

He has published widely in his field; his books include People’s Development through People’s Institutions (2002), Organisations and Development (2000) and Evaluation Frameworks for Development Programmes and Projects (1998).