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UBC Theses and Dissertations

Resource development planning for less developed countries Casasempere, Alfonso

Abstract

A practical methodology for planning resource development in a national (regional) context in less developed countries is formulated. The methodology describes the principles and procedures for designing, appraising and selecting resource development projects in accordance with the highest welfare objectives of a nation. Early in the thesis, the need for achieving a people's development is identified and postulated as the superior objective of all economic planning activity. In the context of this principle the goals of economic development are defined and related to a rationale for resource allocation. On this foundation appropriate criteria for decision-making and the formulation of development policy are established. Emphasizing a holistic approach to resource planning, the thesis identifies the nature of development planning, justifies the need for undertaking this activity in less developed countries and provides guidelines for proceeding in the most effective way. The role of project planning within the process of national planning is defined and the fundamentals of successful project design and appraisal are laid down. It is concluded that a superior planning approach requires a standard method for establishing priorities, a comprehensive appraisal of economic consequences, and the use of accounting prices. Focusing on forest industry development, the planning methodology establishes how to identify the role of resource investments within the overall development process, how to define these investments in terms of sectorial-regional goals, how to translate them into objectives and targets, and how to appraise them as projects within a consistent and comprehensive framework. A case study of plantation forestry and associated industry development in Chile is used to examine the practical applicability of the methodology. The test case proves the empirical validity of the guidelines and provides fresh insights into the potential (real) contribution of timber production forestry to national economic development.

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