Fixing Problems with National Development Plans
They offer a lofty vision for entire countries, but show great gaps in strategy and change management
A number of countries have created long-term visions. These 10-50-year master plans are powerful and bring about alignment between government and all stakeholders.
But the popular approach is deeply flawed. Usually, these efforts lack rigorous long-term strategic planning and the change management to bring the goals about.
As such, they have mixed success. Most are not doing very well.
But even this conclusion is flawed. I am making a guess because the reporting on these plans is spotty. Or confusing. Many create information overwhelm in their reporting.
My fear is that citizens at large, governments, politicians and civil society will conclude that long-term visions for a country don’t work.
And this would be a huge mistake.
So far, I have taken to sharing these concerns in my fortnightly column in the Jamaican newspapers. But these articles are written for a Jamaican audience. As such, they have a few specifics a non-resident of the island may not grasp.
But the lessons around how to engage in National Development Plans is too important so I’m going to start sharing them here in the JumpLeap Newsletter & Podcast.
At the same time, I will create links on this page to background information regarding Vision 2030 Jamaica. Established in 2009, it was a role model for the way large-scale aspirational efforts should engage stakeholders.
Unfortunately, today it languishes. Politicians rarely mention it, and the average citizen doesn’t know or recall what it’s about. Civil servants regularly report on it, which is a plus, but that seems to be the limit of any concerted effort to meet the stated goals.
Hopefully, from this exploration, any country with a national vision or thinking about creating one can learn valuable lessons from the Jamaican example. Maybe one day there will be other resources available which draw insights from other countries’ efforts.
I envision an international conference and perhaps even best practices, plus academic scholarship on this topic. But until this future emerges, this page is a start.
What is Jamaica’s National Development Plan?
Vision 2030 Jamaica is the country's first National Development Plan, aiming to achieve developed country status by the year 2030. It was announced in 2009.
This ambitious vision seeks to transform Jamaica from a middle-income developing country to one that offers its citizens a high quality of life comparable to world-class standards in key areas such as education, healthcare, and access to basic amenities.
The plan acknowledges past shortcomings in development planning and introduces a new paradigm that prioritizes sustainable prosperity. This new approach emphasizes the development of the country's "higher forms of capital," including cultural, human, knowledge, and institutional capital stocks.
What are its key components?
Vision 2030 is structured around four strategic national goals:
empowering Jamaicans to reach their full potential
fostering a secure, cohesive, and just society
building a prosperous economy
ensuring a healthy natural environment
These goals are further broken down into 15 National Outcomes, each with specific strategies and actions for implementation. The plan also recognizes the importance of partnership, transparency, accountability, and social cohesion in achieving its goals. Vision 2030 Jamaica is a call to action for all Jamaicans, at home and in the Diaspora, to participate in the transformation process and build a better future for the nation.
Where can it be found?
Here is a download link. The organization in charge of monitoring its progress, the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), can be found here.
What progress has been made? What remains to be accomplished?
The latest report on performance against Vision 2030 objectives can be examined here. This is the official response to the question, but I have tried to answer it in lay-person’s terms in my Gleaner columns. I’ll share the contents and ideas from these and other content I have created to chronicle insights the world can draw from what is happening in Jamaica.
From a long-term strategy point of view, there are obstacles which every country faces in setting a National Vision or National Development Plan. They are quite similar to the ones companies must confront, but not identical.
Unfortunately, countries don’t seem to have taken many lessons from lessons learned in the private sector.
For example, Jamaica’s largest conglomerate (GraceKennedy) set a 25-year vision back in 1995.
It was an outstanding success. However, the proximity of this achievement hasn’t mattered. Little has made its way to the national level, even in a relatively small country.
The reasons for this lack of learning? We’ll tackle them, alongside the lessons which were forgotten.
Francis