The Changing Paradigms of Zambia’s National Development Planning: An Enigma or A Necessity?

Kangacepe Zulu^1, , Vincent Kanyamuna², Chitembo K. Chunga³ and Easton Simenti-Phiri⁴

¹PhD Candidate, University of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England

²Assistant Dean (Postgraduate), School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Development Studies, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

³National Coordinator, National Project Coordinating Unit (PPCR & TRALARD), Lusaka, Zambia

⁴Senior Lecturer, Off Campus Division, University of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England

Cite this paper:
Kangacepe Zulu, Vincent Kanyamuna, Chitembo K. Chunga and Easton Simenti-Phiri. The Changing Paradigms of Zambia’s National Development Planning: An Enigma or A Necessity?. World Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities. 2023; 9(1):34-47. doi: 10.12691/wjssh-9-1-5

Abstract

Development planning has been observed to be a critical element in the process of development attainment. The support for development planning at national and sub-national levels has gained momentum over the years and is considered essential to both developed and developing countries alike. Zambia has in like manner adopted national development planning as a tool to foster national development attainment. It is within the Zambian context that this study sought to exploit the gap in literature and scholarly discourse in relation to reviewing the progression of national development planning in Zambia. Through archival, secondary and informant interview data analysis and synthesis, this study highlights the significant changes to the development planning institutions and processes in Zambia’s post-independence era from 1964 to date. It can be observed that significant institutional, policy, process and legislation changes have occurred over the years, and these have been accompanied by peculiar development planning challenges. From these observations, the study highlights policy lessons that inter alia include the need for commitment and adaptability; clarity on political roles and technocrats responsibilities; the need to devise models that synchronize economic stabilization goals and development planning goals; ensuring that financing instruments are programme/project specific and not conceived in generalities; and the need for the planning institutions to have goodwill from peer/sector institutions as much as from the politicians. Essentially, it is observed that development planning institutional changes are justified as long as they are aimed at continuous internal improvements and are responsive to emerging inclusive development dynamics.

Keywords:
development national development planning development coordination public policy NDP Zambia

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	G. E. Reyes, “Four Main Theories of Development: Modernisation, dependency, world-system, and globalization,” Nomadas Revista Critica de Ciencias Sociales Juridicas, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 109-124, 2001.
[2]	M. P. Todaro and S. C. Smith, Economic Development, 8th Edition ed., Reading: Addision-Wesley, 2006.
[3]	J. Mensah, “Sustainable development: Meaning, history, principles, pillars and implucations for human action: Literature review,” Cogent Social Sciences, vol. 5, no. 1, 2019.
[4]	E. V. Filipe, K. Otsuki and J. Monstadt, “Translating the sustainable development goals in national development planning: the case of Mozambique's energy for all programme,” Sustainability Science, vol. 16, pp. 1797-1809, 2021.
[5]	E. Lamberg, “Development cooperation and national planning: analysing Finnish complicity in postcolonial Tanzania's decentralization reform and regional development,” Planning Perspectives, vol. 36, pp. 689-717, 2021.
[6]	F. Telch and S. Appe, “How can countries improve human development? Four distinct national planning strategies and the challenges for human development,” Development Policy Review, 2021.
[7]	M. Gibbens and C. Schoeman, “Planning for sustainable livelihood development in the context of rural South Africa: A micro-level approach,” Town and Regional Planning, vol. 76, pp. 14-28, 2020.
[8]	C. Chen, R. LeGates and C. Fang, “From coordinated to integrated urban and rural developemnt in China's megacity regions,” Journal of Urban Affairs, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 150-169, 2019.
[9]	Ministry of Finance and National Planning, “Fifth National Development Plan (2006-2010),” Ministry of Finance and National Planning, Lusaka, 2006.
[10]	Ministry of National Development Planning, “Seventh National Development Plan,” Ministry of National Development Planning, Lusaka, 2017.
[11]	K. Zulu and E. Simenti-Phiri, “When Did Zambia Start Going Green? Assessing the Allusion to and Inclusion of Climate Change and Incidental Phenomenon in Development Planning Policy From 1964 To 2021,” Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 326-342, 2022.
[12]	Ministry of Finance and National Planning, “Eighth National Development Plan (2022-2026),” Ministry of Finance and National Planning, Lusaka, 2022.
[13]	F. Telch, C. Isaza and N. Rubaii, “Governance challenges within national development planning: lessons from the Colombian experience,” International Review of Public Administration, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 175-191, 2020.
[14]	M. Okitasari and T. Katramiz, “The national development plans after the SDGs: Steering implications of the global goals towards national development planning,” Earth System Governance, vol. 12, 2022.
[15]	L. Chileshe, “Addressing Data Challenges For Monitoring and Reporting on National Development Programmes in Zambia: Exploratory Research Study,” University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 2020.
[16]	M. N. K. Saunders, A. Thornhill and P. Lewis, Research Methods for Business Students, 8th Edition ed., Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2019.
[17]	F. Heidhues and G. Obare, “Lessons from Structural Adjustment Programmes and their Effects in Africa,” Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture , vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 55-64, 2011.
[18]	N. Simutanyi, “The politics of structural adjustment in Zambia,” Third World Quarterly, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 825-839, 1996.
[19]	Ministry of Finance, “National Planning and Budgeting Policy,” Ministry of Finance, Lusaka, 2014.
[20]	Ministry of National Development Planning, “Mid-Term Review of the 7th National Development Plan (2017-2021),” Monitoring and Evaluation Department, Lusaka, 2020.
[21]	Ministry of Development Planning and National Guidance, “Second National Development Plan, January, 1972 - December, 1976,” Ministry of Development Planning and National Guidance, Lusaka, 1971.
[22]	Japan International Cooperation Agency, “A Review of the FNDP, PDP and DDP Development Processes: Commissioned by JICA in response to a request from the Ministry of Finance and National Planning and the Decentralisation Secretariate, Ministry of Local Government and Housing of Zambia,” Research Group Institute for International Cooperation (IFIC) Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Tokyo, 2007.
[23]	Office of the President, National Commission for Development Planning, “Third National Development Plan, 1979 - 1983,” National Commission for Development Planning, Lusaka, 1979.
[24]	National Commission for Development Planning, “Fourth National Development Plan,” National Commission for Development Planning, Lusaka, 1989.
[25]	Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, “Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper,” Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Lusaka, 2002.
[26]	Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) No. 2, 2016.
[27]	National Planning and Budgeting Act No. 1, 2020.
[28]	Ministry of National Development Planning, “National Monitoring and Evaluation Policy,” Ministry of National Development Planning, Lusaka, 2019.
[29]	T. Mogues and A. Erman, “Institutional arrangements to make public spending responsive to the poor: When intent meets political economy realities,” Development Policy Review, vol. 38, pp. 100-123, 2018.
[30]	D. ́. Follador, F. ́. Duarte and M. Carrier, “Institutional Arrangements and Political Shifts in Curitiba, Brazil: A Comparative Analysis of the 2004 and 2014 Master Plans,” Journal of Planning History, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 112-128, 2020.
[31]	V. Kanyamuna and K. Zulu, “Participatory Research Methods: Importance and Limitations of Participation in Development Practice,” World Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 9-13, 2022.