What Is Planning and Why Do We Plan - Essay Example

Running Header: What is planning and why do we plan. Institution: Instructor’s Name: Student’s Name: Subject Course & Code: Date of Submission: What is planning and why do we plan? Planning in organizations and public policy is both the organizational policy of creating a working plan and maintaining it. It is also a psychological process of thinking about an activity and achieving the desired outcome. It is the forecasting of developing and creating solutions for contingencies. It involves the formal procedures used in endeavors used as such to reach set goals and objectives. Planning is the fundamental property of intelligent behavior and the future is based on the consequences of planning actions. A plan should be realistic view of the expectations and should reflect a firm’s or state’s expected goals and objectives either in the long term or short run. It is important to plan so as to have control over the future. It is also vital in ensuring independence and making sure that financial and their forms of stress are greatly reduced. Planning creates flexibility and creates peace of mind and avoids clumsiness. The more reason to plan is that it eliminates confusion. Planning in Western Australia has been influenced by several factors. The fact that Australia is very diffuse makes it hard to identify a single working planning policy. The panning is affected by the local government, the Federal government and the state. Some regions are fragmented while others are uncoordinated hindering regional development especially in the western coast of Australia. For instance, management of tourism planning resources are managed through a very limited coordination between the state and the industry and there is inadequate resource provision to the local authorities hence poor implementation (Priskin, 2003) Western Australia has been through stages of development in their planning history. To begin with, pioneering was the first stage which was characterized by lack of planning expertise and the laying of plans that were not implemented. The lack of development in Western Australia was clearly shown by the great depression of 1930. The Town Planning and Development Act were first introduced at this stage in 1928. At this stage the rationality theory of decision making was used. This is whereby scientific and specific alternative ways are used to resolve a problem. It is the simplest form of solving problem and arriving at the desired end. To make a rational decision, one must first identify the problem, define goals and objectives, identify opportunities and weaknesses, identify available alternatives, make a choice and that is the choice to be implemented. This method of planning seemed unachievable due to it’s demands on resources and the lack of expertise. The steps in this method of planning were later defined in simpler terms as desire, design, deduction, decisions and deeds (Stiffel, 2000). However this theory remained for some time until the next stage of planning in Australia was reached. The popular consensus stage followed shortly after being characterized by the rapid growth that was taking place and the developments that led to the Town planning schemes and boards and car ownership soared. Urbanization and urban decisions were made and democratic participation made it a success. The need to resolve urgent matters led to action oriented approaches to problem solving that linked individual sectors and projects. Land shortages in Western Australia reduced as a result of this. This was closely followed by the challenge stage. This stage had unique aspects which included politicizing the planning policies and the systems became more aligned with the state government. Environmental protection authority became more important and the need for regional development became more urgent. Australia continues to address the problem of environmental protection and it attaches very significance importance to the 1959 Antarctic Treaty that serves important scientific, environmental and security interests. Western Australia has placed great priority on coalition building that will increase cooperation with other states that share the same views on issues relating to environmental protection (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1979). The last stage in the planning of Western Australia was the sustainability stage. This is the stage where the need for public representation became an urgent demand and had to be addressed. Development of the environment became a common planning policy and the development of sustainability plans came into being. Network planning strategy for Perth and Peel. Sustainability plans are continuously being looked into and the need for a national policy framework that covers the social, environmental and economic sustainability of Western Australia is increasing. National Sea Change Taskforce Inc.(2010) suggests some point plans towards a sustainable future for the coastal region. They include, adopting and implementing the recommendations of the coastal inquiry conducted by the House of Representative Standing Committee on climate change. Secondly, introduction of a new funding formula should be adopted to enable the councils to respond effectively to the social and economic needs and providing the required and necessary facilities and resources needed to implement this plan. They also suggest that developing a better growth national management policy would enable the effective coordination and provision of infrastructure in these areas. This shows how the sustainability stage has been a continuous process to date. Solutions to certain changes continue being sought after and sustainability plans are always being put in place in Western Australia. The system of planning in Australia is implemented from all levels of governance. Starting from the local government, followed by the federal government and lastly the state. The state always takes the lead in all planning, both statutory land use and also resource planning. The ministry or department of planning is responsible for most of the planning and most of these plans are reflected in strategies and policies (Arona, 1999). The state then funds the local authority for formulation of conversation strategies and management plans. Such institutional framework is required so as to reduce monitoring costs of the state and change the expected benefits of not complying (Shotton & Food and Agriculture Org., 2000). The federal government also funds the local government to undertake certain projects that will be of benefit to the community. Communities have a role to play in formulating and implementing the plans laid down. Strategic planning has been on the rise in Western Australia and involvement in government has been a key characteristic. This form of planning focuses on a process of decision making and does not have certain predetermined values or rules. It must be a social process with groups of people and groups so as to effectively implement policies at the local, federal and state levels. It has a vast institutional dimension and the experts on strategic planning argue that implementing the plan is as important as formulating the plan (United Nations Human Settlement Program, 2009). Several theories have assisted policy makers in implementing the plans. Methods of planning vary from one to another in terms of the complexity of the problem. A long term solution can be found or a short term solution arrived at depending on the nature of the environment. The local government of Australia has been using participatory democracy in formulating plans. This method involves the involvement of other parties for instance the stakeholders in formulating the decision but they are not the final decision makers. This method involves consultation and active participation. It succeeds if implemented in the correct manner. With the changes being experienced in the recent past, the discipline of planning has gone through various changes towards a more substantive concern with ethics and public concern. The communicative model of planning has come up not forgetting the new urbanism planning model. Communicative planning or collaborative involves the involvement of stakeholders in the process of formulating and also implementing the plans laid thereof. The urbanism model involves painting a desirable picture of a desired city and working towards its attainment. This is a major development from the rational model of decision making that had neither object nor subject (Fainstein, 2001). Although the rational model has been used in the last centuries, the model is being replaced slowly and Western Australia has not been left behind. Communities continue benefiting from the combined efforts of the federal, local government and the state. The planning models are responsible for this dynamic changes though being faced with various challenges of implementation at the coast of Western Australia. Social equity has been achieved and has made the frameworks of the government more equitable (Harris et. al., 2007). Planning is a management function and is important as we see in the case of Western Australia. It is important to plan and the reasons states or even organizations plan vary from one to another. It is important to note that planning provides a clear understanding of the needs of a community or an individual organization. It is also vital in guiding in the process of decision making. Planning enables maximum use and achievement of desired results using limited resources available. A coherent and clear guide of the day to day implementation is given by planning. Good planning saves time, energy and money. The benefits outweigh the shortcomings and this can be clearly seen. The government once committed makes planning a successful endeavor and is beneficial to all parties (Shapiro, 2005). In a nutshell, Western Australia has been experiencing dynamic changes in their social, economic and social sphere. This is because of implementing the laid out plans and change effected by the local government, the federal government and the state. Australia has created various institutions to create and maintain innovations. Local Learning Employer networks have been created to enable the youth to embrace change and be part of implement the plans that have been laid out by the state. The creations of such institutions require a well laid out plan regarding their role in the system, the activities and the resources to be used. This will be needed to fulfill all the desired objectives by the state. Insufficiency of funds and lack of integration will lead to short term fulfillment of such objectives. The state has a duty to fund the local government for effective implementation. Without such commitment of the government, innovation fatigue would be experienced (Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, 2009). Plans are still underway for instance the Marine Plan that are regional and focus on reaching social equity in all region in the country. Change has been effected in most fields including the health sector and based on this success, Australia as a country is ready to join the international front dealing with major issues relating to health. Although this poses a challenge due to the scarcity of resources, plans have been lay down and the international bodies could support Australia in this (Australian Government, Department of Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, 2009). References Australian Government, Department of Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (2009), Article on National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children: Implementing the first three year action plan 2009-2012. 15(2), 44-50. Arona, B. (1999). The Year in trade (1997). Journal on Operations of the trade Agreements Program, Darby, Pennsylvania: Diane Publishing. Australian Bureau of Statistics (1979). Year book, Australia. Planning for our cities.84 (6), 16-20. Centre for Educational Research and Innovation. (2009). Working out change: Journal on systematic innovation in vocational education and training.12 (9), 65-69. Fainstein, S. (2001). New Directions in Planning, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. Harris et. al. (2007). Planning Australia, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. National Sea change Taskforce Inc. (2010) a ten point plan for coastal Australia: Journal on a sustainable future for our coast 33(5), 220-234. Shotton, R. & Food and Agriculture Org. (2000). Use of property rights in fisheries management, Darby, Pennsylvania: Diane Publishing. Shapiro, J. (2005). An overview of Planning, Journal on planning. 22(8), 19-22. Priskin, J. (2003). Issues and opportunities in planning and managing nature tourism in the central coast region of Western Australia. Journal on Australian Geographical studies. 41(3), 270-286. Stiffel, B. (2000). Planning Theory: The National AICP Examination preparation course Guidebook 11(4)4-16. United Nation Human Settlement Program (2009). Planning sustainable cities: global report on human settlements. UN-HABITAT. 20(5), 258-300. Read More