National Development Plans are large scale investment programmes to develop both soft and hard infrastructure for the development of the country. Namibia adopted planning as a tool to direct and coordinate development efforts towards a common goal; that of uplifting the standard of living of the Namibian people to the level of their counterpart in the developed world. National planning involves the process of setting goals, developing strategies, and outlining tasks and schedules to accomplish the national goals. Planning in Namibia is done at national, regional and local levels and it takes the form of short, medium and long term.
Namibia’s Vision 2030 is a long term perspective plan outlining the course of development and the ideal country that Namibia would like to be in the year 2030. This is a country where people are well developed, prosperous, health and confidentin an atmosphere of interpersonal harmony, peace and political stability. This state of development will be achieved in systematic manner through the implementation of the medium term plans – which are building blocks toward Vision 2030. NDP2 is the first of the medium term plan developed after the launch of Vision 2030, and thus NDP7 will be the last medium term plan to be implemented before reaching 2030. It is envisaged that the medium term development plans formulation will be based on the integrated sustainable development approach and will be characterised by a vigorous and clear cut implementation and monitoring and evaluation strategy.
The “magic” for the achievement of goals of both Vision 2030 and medium term development plans will be adequate funding for the prioritised programmes and projects and cultivation of partnership between all stakeholders which include government offices/ministries/agencies, development partners, donor communities, private sector as well as support from all citizens.