Strategic Network: New National Planning for Sustainable Development in the Global South

This project has five objectives:

1) To identify and analyse dimensions, key elements and core ideas of New National Planning. We do this through detailed case study work in Bangladesh, Benin, Ghana, Togo, Tunisia, Peru, Uganda and Zimbabwe. An important element of this objective will be the development of a typology of recent National Development Plans. Some of this material will emerge from primary and secondary data however work is required to conceptualise and understand key influences and characteristic features of the New National Development Plans.

2) To understand the paradigmatic significance of the New National Planning and how it is shaping both development theory and practice. The focus here is on trying to understand the concepts and processes that underpin the production of plans (context, key actors, methods)

3) To analyse the relationship between the National Development Planning Process and development outcomes in the short to medium-term. This will be in the form of content analysis of plan documents from more than 100 countries and deep quantitative and qualitative analysis of nine country case-studies (Bangladesh, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Peru, Uganda, Indonesia).

4) Establish and nurture a new research and knowledge network on the role of New National Development Planning in taking forward the Sustainable Development Goals. The aim is to create a knowledge platform and learning community. It brings together academics, policy practitioners, NGO’s and donors, all of whom have a common interest in enhancing the quality of plans for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.

5) This project will also assist in identifying key areas for future multi-disciplinary research.