Structured Vision 2030 towards national planning

Dr Eric Tinashe Muzamhindo

“TO accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” — Anatole France.

A nation’s vision is aimed at transforming the economy and enhance citizens’ quality of life.

Achieving these goals necessitates meticulous planning and a coordinated effort involving all stakeholders.

Africa, rich in natural resources and potential, stands at a pivotal point in its developmental journey, faced with several challenges.

While there are differences in scale and scope of these challenges, they almost always include inadequate infrastructure, the burden of socio-economic and political systems steeped in a colonial past, high unemployment, informal economies, limited access to education and healthcare, and exploitation of resources that does not benefit the populace as it should.

The need for structuring a national vision becomes paramount for transformative growth.

Structuring the national vision

Realising a national vision requires a well-defined strategy.

This means identifying critical development sectors, setting precise targets and crafting a roadmap for implementation and monitoring.

Imagine planning a journey where the vision is your destination and the structured strategy is your map.

Just as a map outlines the best routes to take and highlights landmarks along the way, a structured vision guides resource allocation and efforts towards achieving significant milestones.

The structuring process should involve thorough research, analysis and consultation with stakeholders from various sectors, particularly think tanks and strategic thinkers.

Simplification of the vision

It is essential that the vision resonates with key stakeholders — from the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, right through to beneficiaries and the general populace.

If the common person cannot grasp the essence of a national vision, its utility is diminished.

The vision should be as clear and straightforward as a product on a shelf in terms of its purpose, quality and the need it fulfils.

For instance, imagine a vision as a flashlight in the darkness. It should illuminate the path forward clearly and be easy to use, guiding the way towards the desired outcome without unnecessary complications.

The general populace of a nation should be able to appreciate the main thrust of the vision, even without understanding the intricacies involved in formulating and implementing it.

On the other end of the spectrum, some leaders have complicated their leadership journey by coming up with complex visions.

Sometimes ordinary people do not buy into a vision not because they are fundamentally opposed to any of its core components, but rather because they do not understand it or become indifferent to its success or failure.

In the same vein, the vision must be well-understood by the implementing team to ensure efforts are applied intelligently and match the original intents of the vision.

Structured vision

Structure refers to different elements of a strategic plan and how they fit together.

There is a common saying that, if a person walks a certain path and no one follows, they are merely taking a walk.

Consequently, for people to follow and believe in a leader, they must formulate and clearly enunciate not only a vision, but also a structured vision. A structured vision takes on added importance at national level.

By aligning efforts towards a common vision, a nation can foster collaboration and synergy among various sectors and stakeholders.

This will ultimately accelerate progress towards the desired outcomes and ensure that the vision is comprehensive and takes into account the unique challenges and opportunities in each sector of an economy.

Additionally, conducting thorough research and analysis will provide a solid foundation for decision-making and resource allocation, and prioritise interventions accordingly.

It is important to identify the components of structure, how they correlate as a system, the reporting system and the coordination of functions, systems, institutions and various interest groups.

For example, your structure may start with a vision and mission statement, then flows into values, focus areas and goals with objectives, strategies and implementation processes.

These different aspects and components enable the vision to be fulfilled in a comprehensive and coherent manner by inspiring confidence and clarity in everyone involved in fulfilling it.

Coordinated agenda

A viable vision must be well-coordinated.

A national vision must be particularly well-coordinated because it has many moving parts, people and interest groups internally and externally.

Various players differ in approach, especially when implementing, but if there is coordinated reference, training and methodology, it is easier for the team to fully implement the vision.

Some leaders carry the right message and correct vision but invariably fail when coordinating the agenda.

After proclaiming a vision, targets and guidelines on coordination must be clearly laid out, and some key aspects to consider include:

Parameters for teams to start doing the work

Targets and clear objectives of the vision

Clear ideology, views and goals

It is also important to have a clear reading of the attitudes of key stakeholders and implementers.

Some individuals may be in strategic positions within the matrix of achieving the national vision due to political party affiliations and merely toe the line for monetary gain.

It is important that key posts are filled by people who are not only competent but have also bought into the vision.

In each and every team, there must be one or two people who carry the intrinsic message of the vision.

We call these faithful stewards.

These stewards must be fully equipped with resources and necessary support to achieve the vision.

Test kits

It is of paramount importance to have test kits to reconnoitre the landscape before a vision can be fully implemented.

Test kits are very important to ascertain whether the vision has been accepted or not at ground level.

The leader may either use coordinated teams on the ground, surveys, Government operations and systems, intelligence wings or gather stakeholders to hear their views.

Successful implementation of any vision requires buy-in of key stakeholders or opinion makers.

It builds confidence and gives impetus to the vision.

Dr Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo is head of the Zimbabwe Institute of Strategic Thinking. Feedback: [email protected]