Multi-level planning opposed to centralised planning is an exercise where local institutions are actively involved not only at the implementation level but involve all hierarchies of administrative, geographical, political, and regional levels in the planning process.
It is cost effective and removing implementation blockages in the sense:
1. Freedom to Fix Priorities: Since the specific situation at the local level is quite different from the national scene, a block plan may even give different weightage to national priorities in its scheme of priorities.
2. Target Fixing: A block drawing upon the available resources and its own experiences should have the freedom to fix its own targets, depending upon their feasibility.
3. Tackling Corruption: Through empowerment and involvement of local bodies, various discrepancies in developmental implementation can be solved.
4. Reducing Regional disparities: Decentralised planning will help suitability of the implementation strategies and resource allocation for desired outcomes. It would increase the effectiveness of government schemes.
5. Better supervision & monitoring: multi-level planning helps in making people and lower administration an active stakeholder in the developmental process.
Challenges of Multi Level Planning:
Decentralised planning, sometimes, does not reflect national priorities, which is possible in centralised planning. It is, therefore, not able to strengthen the nationalist forces or fight divisive forces.
• In decentralised planning, the administrative and political structures at the lower levels may act as constraints to change and development. This may be through cornering the benefits of development or by covertly or overtly opposing alterations, which will empower other groups. The disadvantaged may be too weak to stake their claims.
• Technical capabilities in planning are often limited at the lower levels.
Suggestions-
• Promoting Evidence-based planning: It harnesses the knowledge gained from data and information and uses it to optimise our planning process and improve results.
• Training of Local Government officials in policy making: This would enable their active participation in the policymaking process and its implementation.
• Revamping District Planning Committee: This is an essential component in the process of decentralised planning as they hold consultation, debate and deliberation and integrate consensus-based choices.
In India following five stages of multi-level planninghave been recognized, these include:1. National level (NITI AAYOG)2. State level planning.3. District/ metropolitan level-regional planning.4. Block level-village planning.5. Panchayati leve
NITI Aayog has taken steps for multi-dimensional planning as seen in Aspirational District Program to deepen the idea of Cooperative and competitive federalism. However, for any Planning to be effective, it has to have a clear mandate to formulate the development plan of the area and its role and responsibilities clearly delineated vis-à-vis other government agencies.