9/14/2014

What is a Plan?

Some people tend to confuse between Charts and Plans. That is why I have found it necessary to clearly define both approaches.

1.- The Chart or Charter provides some broad guidelines

The Lebanese Chart was set up, as a statement of intent, at the beginning of this century. It was not intended to be a working instrument. It merely set up some broad guidelines to follow in the quest for the solutions of our ills.

 2.- The Plan, on the other hand, requires action that is based upon facts.

A Plan is an action program that sets up numerical or financial targets and time-tables with a view to reach specific short, medium, and long term objectives. That work involves the following:

1.       A clear description of each problem encountered: “WHAT?”

2.       A clear description of the specific solution recommended: “HOW?”

3.       The estimated financial cost of this solution: “HOW MUCH?”

4.       The identification of the funding sources: “WHERE FROM?”

5.       The identifications of the persons who ought to be involved in implementing the solution: “WHO?”

6.       An estimated execution time-table: “WHEN?” and “HOW LONG?”

7.       A clear description of the follow-up procedure: “HOW?” accompanied by an identification of  the people who will be involved in the follow-up process: “WHO?”

3.- What is the scope of the L.N.D.P. (The Lebanese National Development Plan?

The Lebanese National Development Plan (L.N.D.P.) covers eighteen sectors in all. Each sector, in turn, addresses, on average, some sixty odd issues that require to be solved appropriately. The solutions that will be chosen must be time and cost effective. Though the Plan is still in the elaboration stage, we estimate that we shall end up eventually with a total of some one thousand issues in all, and their appropriate solutions.

  4.- A comparison between the CHART OF THE CITIZEN ON EDUCATION with the EDUCATION PLAN, reproduced below.

The Education Plan was elaborated in 2010 under the supervision of Minister Hassan Mneimne with the assistance the World Bank. It includes ……. Initiatives that are needed to be adopted if one wants to solve all the problems related to the Education Sector in our country. Reading through that Plan one can notice that everything has been accounted for, including a full description of the measures to be undertaken,  the period required for its implementation, the actors who should be involved, the estimated cost of each initiative, and the source of the funding that will be required. Furthermore, the plan provides for a commission to follow up on the implementation process, and report directly to the minister. Why that admirable Plan was never executed will remain forever a mystery to any objective observer of the Lebanese scene.

v 5.- CONCLUSIONS

Considering the complexity of putting all the facts together, the time involved in completing the Lebanese National Development Plan (L.N.D.P.) is estimated to be no less than six months, if one wants to cover all the angles. It requires a lot of detail work and a large number of participants. It also calls for a political decision to do away with the current laissez-faire approach that has been the norm to date in our public administration.

The success of the project entails a close and effective coordination between our public officials, the experts in the various domains, and the representatives of our civil society. Unless all these conditions are fulfilled, the chances of the L.N.D.P. becoming a true engine of reform and development will remain problematic.