The article written by Albert Waterston is a powerful narrative that guides development planners to consider the essential factors prior to planning and implementation. He cited critical details as to why development plans fail and discussed as to why development plans become successful based on the data and experiences from other countries. He cited the importance of political will to implement the plan, the crafting of development plan that is not only based on the resource potentialities but also on the administrative capacity to execute them out. He also highlighted the importance of crafting policies in parallel to the implementation of the plan to which part of the policy is to incentivize people who have significant contribution in the implementation of the development plan. This article enlightens my personal view regarding the execution of development planning. This article allows me to revisit and rethink the external factors that has to be considered which have potential influence on the implementation of the plan. The essence of this article resonates with my personal views as to how to execute the planning process, the process of plan implementation, and the significant factors that has to be clarified prior to the implementation of the plan.
Relevance, Validity, and the Recency of Facts for Development Planning
The availability of important relevant facts, relevant facts in the sense that specific detailed information must be contextually coherent with the problem and is obtained from reliable sources like the recognized experts from the field to which this information is vital for development planners to craft and produce plans in a given desired reasonable time frame. It is also imperative to ensure the validity of these facts before it is considered as part of intricacies to define the entire picture of the problem. Validity of information simply refers to accuracy and a truthful representation as to what it tends to describe. Once it is valid, it ensures that the information is a true reflection of the reality of the concept that it aims to convey. The necessity to make sure that the information used to describe the problem is true is non-negotiable, because a wrong representation of facts may spell a long-term unpleasant circumstance that may affect the efficiency or even the effectiveness of the projects and programs. On the other hand, I also realize that the recency of information is also deemed to be important in development planning and failure in sending or receiving the current version of data and documents, or data systems that do not communicate efficiently, can be catastrophic in the entire process of finding better solutions (Beck, 2023). That is why it is said that valid information is an integral prerequisite prior to the crafting of the plans. In a case study by John W. Schmitt and Kenneth A. Kozar in 1978 about the information management system project that failed, it is said that the agency responsible for planning utilized invalid information that has led to failure in development planning. In this case, the agency attempted to build an information system that aims to aid the land development planning process. The project relied on outdated and inaccurate data regarding land use, which did not reflect the current state of the land or the needs of the stakeholders. This led to incorrect planning and decision-making. The requirements gathered from stakeholders were not accurately documented or understood. This resulted in a system that did not meet the actual needs of the users, leading to its nonuse. The project was based on several faulty assumptions about the capabilities of the technology and the availability of resources. These assumptions were not validated, leading to unrealistic expectations and project failure. The technical specifications for the system were not thoroughly verified, leading to the development of features that were either unnecessary or incompatible with the existing infrastructure (Schmitt & Kozar, 1978, p. 13-15).
Impact of Political Factors in Development Planning, Projects, and Progress
Political factors are crucial to both public and private sectors. They pose significant impact in strategic planning and decision-making. Waterson said that government commitment for development is a sine qua non, which means it is a prime requirement for successful implementation. Failure to maintain the discipline implied in plans and the failure to adopt appropriate policies to carry out the plan is a clear manifestation of poor political will or administrative capacity, otherwise it will give successful project outcome. One of the case studies that illustrates the impact of political factors on development planning is the case study done by Richard Odhiambo (2014) on the implementation of community development action plan in Kisumu, West Sub-Country, Kenya. His study underscored four findings; first, the government legislation influenced the implementation of community development action plans. This legislation largely guides the implementation of community development action plans and facilitates clearly spelt out to community members; second, stability in the political environment affects the continuity and consistency of the project which he emphasize that political unrest and changes in the government disrupts the planning and execution; third, corruptions hampers the efficiency of project, and lastly, political factors influenced the participation of the community in the development.
Another case study report published by the United Nations Development Programme, titled “Local Democracy in the Philippines: Representation in Decentralized Governance - Case Study Report,” on page 53, support the idea that in order to carry out the development for local democracy is a strong political and a moral and just leadership. Local democracy is the system of governance at the local level where citizens have the power to participate in decision-making processes that affect their community. It involves decentralization of political power, allowing local governments to operate with a degree of autonomy from the central government and to effectively and efficiently render good services and satisfy the needs of the people, there is a need to appoint and/or elect people with leadership, managerial competencies and with high regard to ethical conduct (Valerio, 2018, p. 370). However mostly in the Philippines, development planning is particularly challenging due to the frequent interference of personal interests, corruption, and the incompetence of some elected political figures. Often, these representatives are elected not based on the genuine needs of local communities, but rather on their influence and power over the members of the community. Leaders often use government resources to secure loyalty from the public and fund their reelection bids (Cebu SunStar, 2025).
Project Outcomes Influenced by Politically Driven Governance
There are numerous cases where actual project cases demonstrate decline due to politically driven governance. One of which is the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, this project was constructed during the Marcos era during 1970s however it’s never prospered because this project was a subject of controversy which questions the technical and economic viability. Additionally, the project never prospered due to safety concerns. The Philippines is situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes are a common natural disaster, and people at the time were particularly worried about the potential fallout. The NPC General Manager Ramon Ravanzo during that time claimed that during the meeting, Westinghouse only provided standard advertising brochures without any detailed costs and specifications and pointed out that the contract provisions were “onerous, unacceptable, or inconsistent with the turn-key approach to project implementation”. The Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza during that time recommended the rejection of the contract because of those provisions deemed onerous and disadvantageous to the government. However, Marcos ordered the NPC to sign the contract with Westinghouse, that is why this project was regarded as a result of political considerations rather than technical and economic feasibility (Batalla, 2020). On February 10, 2003, the Supreme Court of the Philippines reversed the decision of the Ombudsman, who had previously acquitted Herminio T. Disini of the charges of corruption and bribery due to a lack of prima facie evidence, the Court ruled that there was sufficient evidence to warrant further investigation and prosecution of Disini for his alleged involvement in the multimillion-dollar bribes and unlawful commissions related to the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant project (Supreme Court of the Philippines, 2003).
On the other hand, there are projects that prosper due to high political will to support the implementation of the project. One of which is Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (KALAHI)–Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (CIDSS), a National Community-Driven Development Program implemented in poor municipalities, this project was implemented through the Department of Social Welfare and Development. This program aims to reduce poverty in a total of 667 municipalities covering 16,078 barangays, located in 57 provinces across 14 regions are enrolled under this program nationwide. The program encouraged marginalized communities to collaborate with their barangay officials to identify their needs and access resources from various government agencies. It empowered these communities to take part in decision-making, hold local officials accountable, and prevent the misallocation of funds. This program is regarded as the top 5 best practices in project design among 200 selected projects worldwide by the World Bank. This program also serves as the learning laboratory on poverty reduction with government officials from Indonesia, Vietnam, Mongolia and Nepal conducting study tours to Kalahi-CIDSS municipalities (Garcia, 2021). This program builds local capacities that benefit greatly from political leaders who are dedicated to empowering communities and institutions.
In conclusion, the insights highlighted in the article written by Albert Waterston offer courage to analyze the complexities and challenges inherent in development planning. The lesson we learned from various case studies underscores the importance of strategic planning, engagement of various stakeholders and adaptive approaches to achieve sustainable progress. Reflecting from his perspectives deepens my understanding of the critical factors that may influence the success of any development projects and the necessity of continuous learning to adapt with the constantly this evolving field.
References
- Batalla, E. V. (2020, April 8). Grand corruption scandals in the Philippines. Discover Journals, Books & Case Studies | Emerald Insight. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/pap-11-2019-0036/full/html
- Beck, B. (2023, June 12). Why is project information so important: How does project information translate to project success? Performance Validation. https://perfval.com/why-is-project-information-so-important/
- Cebu SunStar. (2025, February 28). Tell it to sunstar: The root causes of political incompetence, corruption. SunStar Publishing Inc. https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/tell-it-to-sunstar-the-root-causes-of-political-incompetence-corruption
- Garcia, L. N. (2021, May 21). Kalahi-cidss. KALAHI-CIDSS. https://kalahi.dswd.gov.ph/about/kalahi-cidss
- Odhiambo, R. (2014). Factors Affecting Implementation Of Community Development Action Plans: A Case Study Of Plan International In Kombewa Division, Kisumu West Sub-County [Unpublished master's thesis]. University of Nairobi.
- Schmitt, J. W., & Kozar, K. A. (1978). Management's role in information system development failures: A case study. MIS Quarterly, 2(2), 7. https://doi.org/10.2307/248937
- Supreme Court of the Philippines. (2003). G.r. No. 132120 - Presidential Commission on good government (PCGG), petitioner, vs. Hon. Aniano A. Desierto as ombudsman, HERMINIO T. Disini, PACIENCIA escolin-disini, angel E. Disini, Liliana L. Disini and Lea E. Disini, respondents. D E C I S I o N - Supreme Court E-library. https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/1/47794
- Valerio, L. C. (2018). An assessment of managerial and leadership competencies and ethical climate of local government chief executives and senior managers in the municipality of Santa Maria, Bulacan: Basis for good governance. Proceedings of the 2018 Annual Conference of Asian Association for Public Administration: "Reinventing Public Administration in a Globalized World: A Non-Western Perspective" (AAPA 2018). https://doi.org/10.2991/aapa-18.2018.34
