My
First BLOG: ‘Uberizing’ the National Development Plan (NDP)
Written by:
M.Noer Rylands Pr.Eng (a Non-Political Scientist)
Date: 21
March 2018 (Human Rights Day, South Africa)
 |
| NDP Executive Summary in my In-Tray |
Why this Blog?
·
I personally want to learn and
study the National Development Plan (NDP).
There is a saying that goes like: ‘if you really want to learn
something, you have to teach it’. Hence, one of the reasons to start
this blog [entitled: “ ‘Uberizing’ the National Development Plan (NDP) ”]
is to learn about the NDP by teaching and/ discussing it with my
audience virtually.
·
To my knowledge, the complete
NDP document is rather comprehensive and it is a thick document. The Executive
Summary is about 67 pages. The plan is to use Drawings, Figures, Diagrams
and Metaphors to make some sense of the NDP.
·
The NDP is a very important
document in taking South Africa (S.A.) into the future. It is my understanding
that the NDP was developed/ crafted around 1994 and had a
time span until 2030 (a period that spans over 3 decades)
·
Given the importance of this
document, I could only guess that some of the country’s best brains
&/ intellectuals gave inputs & developed the relevant plan(s)
that now form part of the NDP. Many thanks to those who made this document a
reality.
·
Based on the size of the complete
NDP document and skimming through the various topics covered in the said
document, one can guess that many hours of planning, discussing, debating,
deliberating, etc. went into the NDP document. There must have been many
meetings, presentations, conferences, etc. until the NDP
came into existence.
·
The Freedom Charter, the
Constitution of South Africa (S.A), the NDP with the other Legislation
guide SA’s Free, Democratic, Non-Racial Modus Operandi now and in the
future. In my view, from a ‘business perspective’: The Freedom Charter
can be seen as the country’s Vision? The Constitution of South Africa
can be seen as the Mission and/ Values of the country? The NDP can be
seen as the country’s Strategy Management Framework? I would like to get
comments on this bullet, as I might be off the mark here.
·
As a natural writer, for
many months I have been contemplating to develop my 1st Blog. I was always thinking: ‘What do I write
about?’; ‘How can I be a benefit to the masses?’; ‘How can
I unleash the writer inside of me?’ ‘What am I excited
about?’ ‘What can I do easily and have a passion for?’ ‘How can I
leverage my talents to make South Africa a better place now and in the
future?’
·
I am a natural planner/ & initiator
for projects and strategic development and execution.
Being equip with both a technical degree and a management degree
and having some 20 years work experience as both a professional
engineer and manager, I thought whatever topic I will be blogging
about, must have the elements of both ‘Nuts & Bolts’
stories (Bottom Up) as well ‘Helicopter view’ stories (Top Down).
Eventually I came up with: ‘How can I make a dent in the NDP?’
·
Amongst the other ideas, to
start this particular blog, is to create awareness of the NDP to a broader
wider audience. The idea is to start many dialogues
ranging among others: those who are not aware of the existence of the
NDP; those who have limited knowledge/ understanding of the NDP
but want to learn more; those who have a good understanding and
knowledge of the NDP but do not know how to contribute to the NDP (from
the own spaces) and those who are currently busy with existing NDP projects/
programmes that are seeking alternative ways/ means to redefine
their plans in terms of regrouping and the execution thereof.
·
Needless to say, the purpose of
this particular blog is not to ‘recreate the wheel’. It is the author’s
view that this envisaged Blog will be Complement &/ Supplement
to existing NDP forums/ platforms.
·
I set a personal milestone to
have my 1st Blog up and running by/ before 1 November 2018. As I writing this bullet, I thought to
myself: ‘Why wait?’ One of my former bosses used to say: ‘Don’t
let perfection stand in the way of progress!’ Being Human Rights Day
today and gathering up my courage, I am launching my 1st Blog today,
Wed 21 March 2018, titled: “ ‘Uberizing’
the National Development Plan (NDP) ”. I am looking forward to our virtual
conversations.
