The dependent character of development planning in Tanzania

This paper examines development planning in one particular developing country, namely Tanzania, and the problem of dependency associated with it. It analyses Tanzania's shift from a comprehensive development planning to a decentralized planning in 1980 in terms of sector and area plans and indicative planning, in the form of Poverty Reduction Strategy. This shift, which had more to do with the surge of neoliberalism than domestic conditions, resulted in a simplified and more interactive planning, and lesser dependency on foreign experts than before. While Tanzania experienced rapid economic growth under the new planning regime, this was not without serious trade-offs, particularly in terms of reduced priority to industrialization and economic nationalism. The paper shows the various planning approaches as having been donor-driven, and also maintains that the way the Government has recently been trying to institutionalize O&OD planning is likely to lead to village dependency on the Districts. Eastern Africa Social Science Research Review Vol. 22(2) 2006: 65-8

Poverty reduction for older people: the case of access to health services in Tanzania

Poverty reduction is the overarching development policy today shaping both national and donor programmes and activities. The Copenhagen World Summit on Social Development, the Millennium Development Goals, the G8 Summit at Gleneagles on Debt Relief and Poverty, the Summit on Poverty and at national level the PRSP 2000 and now the National Strategy for Growth and Poverty Reduction clearly demonstrate both global and national commitments on poverty reduction. A number of sector specific initiatives also have significant bearing on poverty reduction. These include EFA at global level and in national terms, for Tanzania the Primary Education Plan and various policies and programs such as those of health, agriculture, local government, micro-financing, social security, youth, and older people among others