A Sequential Approach to Decentralized
Area Development Planning
The Case of a Peripheral Water Catchment Basin in
Cameroon, West Africa
Jan Veenstra
ITC, P.O. Box 6, 7500 AA Enschede, The
Netherlands, Phone: +31 (0)53 4874232,
Telefax: +31 (0)53 4874399; E-mail:
Wolters@itc.nl
1. Abstract
This paper considers local development administrations according to their general
management functions, by which policies are made, resources are allocated, and area-wide
sectoral interventions are coordinated, implemented, controlled, monitored and evaluated. In
view of the changing context of local bureaucracies, caused among other things by
decentralizing forces, a first series of propositions is launched on opposing schools of
development thought, and on blueprint versus process planning. Here, resource planners
are to reconcile principally two conflicting sets of policy options: those favoring political
stability and free-market economic growth "from above", versus those accounting for socio-
spatial equity, peoples participation, preservation of local cultural identities and natural
resource conservation "from below". A second series of propositions deals with regional
development planning "from above and below". Here, three sequential planning rounds are
suggested: turning away from narrow project-shopping-list routines, towards strategic area
planning, supported by problem- and action-oriented policy studies.
Added to this paper is a description of a reduced regional planning procedure including a
data checklist for the Tikar water catchment area in Cameroon, West Africa, which
consultants' study was funded by the EEC, Brussels.
