Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T21:09:54.878Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Administration Of Integrated Rural Development Policy: The Politics of Agrarian Reform in Developing Countries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2011

Dennis A. Rondinelli
Dennis A. Rondinelli
Affiliation:
Syracuse University
Get access

Abstract

Integrated rural development has become the focus of growth with equity policies in developing countries. Evaluations of development programs and plans over the past two decades indicate that little change can be achieved in developing societies through single purpose policy interventions and that diversified and integrated programs aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and dispersing directly productive and social overhead investments in rural regions are essential for socially equitable economic growth. Because of their importance to emerging development strategies, this paper identifies and analyzes the political and administrative problems of planning and implementing integrated rural development programs. It reflects a sympathetic but skeptical view of the prospects for achieving rural development without fundamental political and administrative reforms. It suggests that unless governments in developing countries and international assistance agencies can resolve three crucial problems—those of mobilizing political commitment, restructuring administrative arrangements, and delivering basic services to the rural poor—integrated rural development may go the way of all previous development fads, and have little impact on intended beneficiaries.

Type
Research Article
Information
World Politics , Volume 31 , Issue 3 , April 1979 , pp. 389 - 416
Copyright
Copyright © Trustees of Princeton University 1979

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Griffin, Keith, The Political Economy of Agrarian Change (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press 1974), 255.Google Scholar

2 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, World Bank, Atlas 1976 (Washington: World Bank 1977).Google Scholar

3 See Meier, Gerald M., “The Dimensions of Development: Indicators of International Poverty—A Note,” in Meier, , ed., Leading Issues in Economic Development (3rd ed.; New York: Oxford University Press 1976), 12–18.Google Scholar

4 See Adelman, Irma and Morris, Cynthia T., Economic Growth and Social Equity in Developing Countries (Stanford: Stanford University Press 1973), 152.Google Scholar

5 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Rural Development Sector Policy Paper (Washington: World Bank 1975).Google Scholar

6 See Implementation of the “New Directions” in Development Assistance, report prepared by the U. S. Agency for International Development, U. S. House Committee on International Relations, 94th Cong., 1st sess. (Committee Print 1975), 63–64.

7 Myrdal, Gunnar, Rich Lands and Poor: The Road to World Prosperity (New York: Harper 1957).Google Scholar

8 See Rondinelli, Dennis A. and Ruddle, Kenneth, Urbanization and Rural Development: A Spatial Policy for Equitable Growth (New York: Praeger 1978).Google Scholar

9 Kanesalingham, V., “The Impact of Government Policies and Programmes on Villages in Sri Lanka,” in Asian Centre for Development Administration [hereafter cited as ACDA], Approaches to Rural Development in Asia, III (Kuala Lumpur: ACDA 1975), 145.Google Scholar

10 Adelman, Irma, Morris, Cynthia T. and Robinson, Sherman, “Policies for Equitable Growth,” World Development, IV (July 1976), 561–82CrossRefGoogle Scholar, at 575.

11 See Paine, Suzanne, “Balanced Development: Maoist Concept and Chinese Practice,” World Development, IV (April 1976), 277–305CrossRefGoogle Scholar, and Gurley, John G., “Rural Development in China,” in Edwards, E. O., ed., Employment in Developing Nations (New York: Columbia University Press 1974), 383–403.Google Scholar

12 Implementation of the “New Directions” in Development Assistance (fn. 6), 4.

13 See Rondinelli, Dennis A. and Ruddle, Kenneth, “Local Organization for Integrated Rural Development: Implementing Equity Policy in Developing Countries,” International Review of Administrative Sciences, XLIII (January 1977), 20–30CrossRefGoogle Scholar, and Rondinelli, and Ruddle, (fn. 8), chap. 4.Google Scholar

14 See David F. Roth, “Political Structure, Policy Adaption and Rural Change: The Cases of Thailand, Malaysia and the Peoples’ Republic of China,” and A. N. Seth, “Agrarian Changes in Asia,” both in ACDA (fn. 9), II, 162Google Scholar–264, 266–316.

15 Meerman, Jacob, “Evaluation of the Agricultural Sector Loans Funded by USAID Ethiopia” (Washington: USAID 1973)Google Scholar, mimeo.

16 U. S. Agency for International Development, Nicaragua-Rural Development Sector Loan, Capital Assistance Paper AID-DLC/P-2091 (Washington: USAID 1975)Google Scholar, Annex V-C.

17 J. E. Rocamora and C. Conti-Panganiban, “Rural Development Strategies: The Philippines Case,” in ACDA (fn. 9), II, 267–68.Google Scholar

18 Robinson, J. B. and Stone, J. M., Agricultural Sector Assessment for the Dominican Republic (Washington: USAID 1974), V–18.Google Scholar

19 Blue, Richard N. and Weaver, James H., “A Critical Assessment of the Tanzanian Model of Development,” Agricultural Development Council Reprint, No. 30 (July 1977), 18.Google Scholar

20 See Gurley, (fn. 11), 385–89.Google Scholar

21 Mathur, Kuldeep, “Administrative Institutions, Political Capacity and India's Strategy for Rural Development,” in ACDA (fn. 9), III, 1–62Google Scholar, at 52.

22 Tendler, Judith, “What Happens in an Agrarian Reform,” Inter-country Evaluation of Small Farmer Organizations: Honduras (Washington: USAID 1976)Google Scholar, mimeo.

23 Lele, Uma, The Design of Rural Development: Lessons from Africa (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press 1975), 142.Google Scholar

24 See Cheetham, Russell and Hawkins, E. K., The Philippines: Priorities and Prospects for Development (Washington: World Bank 1976)Google Scholar, chap. 13.

25 Weitz, Raanan and Rokach, Avshalom, Agricultural Development Planning and Implementation: An Israeli Case Study (New York: Praeger 1968), 329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

26 See United Nations, International Labor Organization (ILO), Employment, Incomes and Equality: A Strategy for Increasing Productive Employment in Kenya (Geneva: ILO 1972)Google Scholar; Towards Full Employment: A Programme for Colombia (1970); Total Involvement: A Strategy for Development in Liberia (1972); Growth, Employment and Equity: A Comprehensive Strategy for the Sudan (1976); Sharing in Development: A Programme of Employment, Equity and Growth for the Philippines (1974); Employment and Unemployment in Ethiopia (1973).

27 See Rondinelli, , “The Importance of Project Management in Asian Development: An Integrated Framework for Planning and Implementation,” paper prepared for delivery at Project Management Seminar, Manila, 1977Google Scholar; processed by Asian Productivity Organization, Tokyo.

28 Stavis, Benedict, People's Communes and Rural Development in China (Ithaca, N. Y.: Cornell University Center for International Studies 1974), 54–55.Google Scholar

29 G. S. Cheema, “Rural Local Government and Rural Development in China, India and Pakistan,” in ACDA (fn. 9), 1, 149–50.Google Scholar

30 Lele (fn. 23), chap. VIII.

31 See, for instance, experiences with Kenya's Special Rural Development Program: Institute of Development Studies, University of Nairobi, “An Overall Evaluation of the Special Rural Development Programme,” Occasional Paper No. 8 (Nairobi: Kenya: IDS 1972)Google Scholar, mimeo.

32 See Hague, A., Mehta, N., Rahman, A., and Wignaraja, P., Towards A Theory of Rural Development (Bangkok: U.N. Asian Development Institute 1975), 20.Google Scholar

33 Helleiner, G. K., “Socialism and Economic Development in Tanzania,” Journal of Development Studies, VIII (No. 2, 1972), 183–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

34 See Powell, J. D., “Peasant Society and Clientelist Politics,” American Political Science Review, LXIV (June 1970), 411–25CrossRefGoogle Scholar, and Scott, J. C., “Patron-Client Politics and Political Change in Southeast Asia,” American Political Science Review, LXVI (March 1972), 91–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

35 Gurley, (fn. 11), 389Google Scholar; emphasis in original.

36 Stavis, (fn. 28), 53.Google Scholar

37 Ledesma, Antonio J., “Land Reform Programs in East and Southwest Asia: A Comparative Approach,” University of Wisconsin Land Tenure Center, Research Paper No. 69 (Madison 1976)Google Scholar, mimeo.

38 Chang, , “Centralization VS. Decentralization in the Chinese Political System, 1949–1971,” Asian Forum, IV (1972), 14–36Google Scholar, at 29.

39 Montgomery, John D., “Allocation of Authority in Land Reform Programs: A Comparative Study of Administrative Process and Outputs,” Administrative Science Quarterly, XVII (March 1972), 62–75CrossRefGoogle Scholar, at 62.

40 Nelson, Michael, The Development of Tropical Lands: Policy Issues in Latin America (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press 1973), 267.Google Scholar

41 Pyakurayal, Kiran Nath, “Paddy Production Program in the Third Plan (1967–1970): A Nepalese Experience,” in Iglesias, G. U., ed., Implementation: The Problem of Achieving Results (Manila: Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration 1976), 35–61.Google Scholar at 57.

42 See Rondinelli, Dennis A. and Ruddle, Kenneth, “Political Commitment and Administrative Support: Preconditions for Growth with Equity Policy,” Journal of Administration Overseas, XVII (January 1978), 43–60.Google Scholar

43 Smith, Theodore Reynolds, East Asian Agrarian Reform: Japan, Republic of Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines (Hartford, Conn.: John C. Lincoln Institute 1974).Google Scholar

44 Montgomery, (fn. 39), 73.Google Scholar

45 Rondinelli and Ruddle (fn. 8), chap. 6.

46 See R. Hooja, “The District as a Planning Unit: Style and Locus,” and Inamdar, N. R., “District Planning in Maharashtra,” both in Indian Journal of Public Administration, XIX (July-September 1974), 393–406Google Scholar, 320–27.

47 See Cohen, J. M., “Rural Change in Ethiopia: The Chilalo Agricultural Development Unit,” Economic Development and Cultural Change, XXII (July 1974), 580–614.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

48 African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development, “Regional Conference on Management of Rural and Urban Development in Africa,” African Administrative Studies, IX (January 1973), 33–41.Google Scholar

49 See Jon R. Moris, “The Transferability of Western Management Concepts and Programs: An East African Perspective,” and Mendoza, Gabino A., “The Transferability of Western Management Concepts and Programs: An Asian Perspective,” both in Stifel, L. D., Coleman, J. S., and Black, J. E., eds., Education and Training for Public Sector Management in Developing Countries (New York: Rockefeller Foundation 1977), 73–83Google Scholar and 61–71, respectively.

50 Tendler, (fn. 22), 25–30.Google Scholar

51 Caiden, Naomi and Wildavsky, Aaron, Planning and Budgeting in Poor Countries (New York: Wiley 1974), 63.Google Scholar

52 See Rondinelli, and Ruddle, (fn. 13), 22–24.Google Scholar

53 Tendler, (fn. 22), 33.Google Scholar

54 For a detailed description, see Rondinelli, Dennis A. and Ruddle, Kenneth, “Appropriate Institutions for Rural Development: Organizing Services and Technology in Developing Countries,” Philippine Journal of Public Administration, XXI (January 1977)Google Scholar, in press.

55 Ruttan, Vernon, “Integrated Rural Development Programs: A Skeptical Perspective,” International Development Review, XVIII (1975), 9–16Google Scholar, at 12.

56 Uphoff, Norman T. and Esman, Milton J., Local Organization for Rural Development: Analysis of Asian Experience (Ithaca, N. Y.: Cornell University Center for International Studies 1974), XIGoogle Scholar; emphasis in original.

57 Stavis, (fn. 28), 48.Google Scholar

58 See Villanueva, D. P., “A Survey of the Financial System and the Saving-Investment Process in Korea and the Philippines,” Finance and Development, II (1971), 16–19Google Scholar, and Maithreyan, B., “Savings in a Developing Economy—Certain Suggestions for Reform and National Coordination,” Economic Bulletin for Asia and the Pacific, XXVI (1975), 188–201.Google Scholar

59 Development Alternatives Inc., Strategies for Small Farmer Development: An Empirical Study of Rural Development Projects, I (Washington: USAID 1975), 95–96.Google Scholar

60 Lindblom, Charles E., Politics and Markets (New York: Basic Books 1977).Google Scholar

60 Ibid., 6.