Practical Issues in Planning: A Case of Methodology

Abstract

All practical project work requires decisions concerning measurement and methodology. When one is working in a familiar area it is possible to make such decisions implicitly and even without a recognition of the assumptions underlying the decisions. However, when working in an unfamiliar area of work, the serious practitioner is confronted with major issues relating to measurement and methodology. This paper discusses how some of these issues were raised and coped with in a practical project on industrial planning in Nigeria. From the outset I, as Project Manager, was confronted with a number of questions. How does one gain an understanding of the present situation regarding industry and ‘development’ and possible options for the future. What are the relevant sources of information, qualitative and quantitative? How does one judge the reliability of information and uncover the assumptions on which it is based? How reliable are eyes used to making these judgments in a European setting or other parts of the Third World? On a practical project these are not issues for academic debate but have to be considered concurrently with the development of recommendations for implementation in practice. But, are they compatible with an OR approach?