An introduction to development planning in the third world. Diana Conyers and Peter Hill. Wiley, Chichester, 1984, 271 pp
| Published date | 01 October 1984 |
| Date | 01 October 1984 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/pad.4230040416 |
| Author | Warren Panther |
Book
Reviews
389
government to the population. The communication network is controlled not only to protect
the integrity of the state from undesirable influences but also actively to promote
development programmes and objectives. Most Singaporeans accept this situation;
presumably as one of the costs of spectacular economic development.
As a research study, the analysis of policy-making and planning at the national level will
seem superficial to many readers, partly due to lack of information on policy discussion in
Cabinet meetings and Ministerial Committees, details of which are not revealed to the public.
Also, researchers will find little to interest them from a methodological
or
theoretical
standpoint. But the book will certainly interest anyone professionally involved in the public
service
or
in commerce in Singapore and provide the general reader with some insight into
a
pragmatic approach to development planning, which has proved to be
so
effective.
R.A. RAITT
R
IPA
AN INTRODUCTION TO DEVELOPMENT PLANNING IN THE THIRD WORLD
Diana Conyers and
Peter
Hill
Wiley, Chichester,
1984,
271
pp.
This book is necessary reading for all those concerned with planning.
In
effect, this embraces
just about everyone, for we must
all
plan to some extent, and this book provides a full
understanding of what planning is-or should be-about. Do not be misled by the title; the
book makes particular reference to the Third World but the plain and sympathetic style, the
logical sequence and the comprehensive cover
of
the subject have universal appeal.
The text covers three main categories. Part
1,
the Nature and Scope of Development
Planning, introduces the subject, explains concepts of development and reviews the history of
planning up to the present state
of
the art. Part
2,
dealing with the technique of planning,
begins with the detail of the process, looks at collection and use of data, modelling,
forecasting and appraisal techniques and concludes with a most valuable
look
at that very
important part of the process, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The third part of
the book gives detailed attention to organization for planning and, in my view, goes a long
way to explain the problems that we have all experienced when somehow, the ‘organization’
seems to hinder progress rather than help it.
The list of excellent points made in the book is too long for detailed comment but some are
worth special mention. In particular, the stress laid on the purpose
of
planning being
to
produce a beneficial result, not just to produce a plan, that planning is a means to an end, not
an end in itself, that planning and implementation are inseparable
if
the effort made is to be
effective and that, in todays world, planning must be a multi-professional team activity, are
lessons that appear to need constant repetition and emphasis.
For
those at the beginning of a career, this is a very valuable statement
of
past and present,
with hope
for
the future.
For
those long practiced and experienced,
it
is
a
salutary reminder
of
the issues of omission and commission, examples
of
which are still encountered in the real
world, whereas for anyone directly concerned with planning in developing countries, this is
a
clear and understanding comment on the particular problems that exist, not least in the
transfer of methods and techniques from one cultural environment to another.
At one point in the text, the authors say ‘We have attempted to adopt
a
realistic approach,
emphasising those techniques and procedures most likely
to
be relevant and to point out the
practical problems that may occur when trying to apply them’. They have indeed succeeded in
this.
WARREN
PANTHER
RIPA
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