Why politicians need a roadmap that works

The National Weekender

By STEVEN WINDUO
AN effective leader has very clear visions and plans that are outcome-based.  A leader who is practical is someone who has practical goal-driven plans.
Successful leaders know the importance of ensuring that they make a difference in the next five years as sand in an hourglass. Every sand granule counts in the next five years. Every second counts. Every kina spent has deliverables.
Many political leaders know the importance of the Five Year Development Plan. The Five Year Development Plan is the road map of service delivery in the electorate. The Five Year Development Plan is the document that a member must have in consultation with the joint district planning and budget priorities committee; it plots, charts, and shows the flow of service delivery in five years.
A sound Five Year Development Plan has monetary values expressed within it. How much is needed? Where will the money come from? Who are those responsible for and for what action? How long will it take to complete a project and how many of these projects are needed?  Completion of these projects may take a short time to complete, or a medium term, or even long-term range.
Some time back I came across Sam Basil’s, Bulolo District: Five Year Development Plan 2013-2017. Basil is the MP for Bulolo and parliamentary leader of Pangu Pati.
I came upon this publication in my colleague George Wrondimi’s office. George happens to be the consultant researcher in this project. The collaboration between Sam Basil, MP, and academic George Wrondimi has produced a document that is professional, simple, and user friendly.
“Every leader at every level of leadership, either at the political, bureaucratic, business, or a village chief at the village level, has a vision of how he or she wants to make a difference in the lives of the people,” says Basil.
Basil has his own dreams about his electorate and how he foresees the welfare and wellbeing of the people of his electorate in the years to come, even after he is gone.
Such visions and sense of leadership has placed him in the driver’s seat of  Pangu Pati, whose performance in the 2017 general election caused a mini tsunami that swept through Morobe and several electorates of Madang.
In 2014 with the publication of the Bulolo: Five Year Development Plan 2013-2017, Basil said: “During my term in office . .  . I want to pursue some important projects which will in the long term have lasting impact in their lives. I don’t want to be just another Member of Parliament who is only a representative of the people in the highest decision-making forum in the land.
“Sometimes a leader makes decisions which do not necessarily reflect the people’s views and thoughts, but the results will be realised in years to come.”
For much of the last term Basil was in the Opposition. He has delivered to his people what was captured in the Bulolo: Five Year Development Plan 2013-2017.
He says: “I am, and will always be a practical leader, listening to the wishes of the people, and offering possible solutions through actions that can provide comfort, hope and eventually happiness to them in the long term.”
In the foreword to Bulolo: Five Year Development Plan 2013-2017, Basil writes: “The list of projects which cover all the important sectors of development for the districts are based on my own personal research experiences as a citizen of the district, as well as during my previous term as the local Member of Parliament for the electorate. “
It is inspiring to see a leader who has very clear development plans and who works towards achieving measurable results.   The Bulolo: Five Year Development Plan 2013-2017 is one of the best templates in my view.  It is a successful development plan.
Says Basil: “I am also equally confident that the selected projects will have real impact on the overall progress and development in the district, thus contributing immensely to improved quality of lives for the people in the electorate during ten years and beyond.”
It is important the plan is easier to read and implement. The financial commitment must be true to the plan.
It is one thing to have a development plan, but it is another to have it implemented.

  • The views expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the institution I work for or the views of any political party.