{"id":2509,"date":"2013-01-27T08:30:06","date_gmt":"2013-01-27T08:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/?p=2509"},"modified":"2013-01-27T08:30:06","modified_gmt":"2013-01-27T08:30:06","slug":"top-down-bottom-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/2013\/01\/27\/top-down-bottom-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Down: Bottom Up"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Top Down Development<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Top down development is characterised by usually a small number of people recruited or elected to develop a \u2018strategy\u2019 that will lead to progress.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2018strategy\u2019 is usually\u00a0accompanied\u00a0by a \u2018plan\u2019, where costed elements are prioritised and scheduled for delivery in the full expectation that things will, as a result, get better.<\/p>\n<p>The strategy and its associated plans are usually supported with evidence and feasibility studies showing just why this is the right course of action and how benefits will accrue and to whom. \u00a0In\u00a0recent\u00a0years it seems we have stopped worrying about &#8216;to whom the benefits will accrue&#8217; and\u00a0accepting\u00a0that the trickle down fairy will ensure that any wealth and wellbeing created by the plan will be enjoyed by all.<\/p>\n<p>Top down development is also characterised by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>delegation down a chain of command to manage implementation &#8211; this is not always well managed<\/li>\n<li>fierce discussions about the correct allocation of scarce resources &#8211; this can divert us from real issues and burn millions<\/li>\n<li>disputes about chosen methodologies and the viability of alternatives &#8211; as everyone tries to get a piece of the planning budget<\/li>\n<li>piloting\u00a0and\u00a0subsequent\u00a0rolling out of schemes and plans &#8211; a belief that what worked elsewhere can also work here, and there&#8230;.<\/li>\n<li>attempts, with varying degrees of honesty and legitimacy, to encourage participation in the top down planning process \u2013 phrases like consultation, co-production and engagement are used liberally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>Top Down Development is really the only way to manage large infrastructure development projects. \u00a0It is a characteristic of electoral democracies where we vote in a small group to develop our strategies. It is also a\u00a0characteristic\u00a0of feudal and despotic states.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><strong>Bottom Up Development<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Bottom Up Development is characterised by people using their power to develop their self interest. Remember self interest is not selfishness but means \u2018self amongst others\u2019. One of the\u00a0important\u00a0lessons from top down development is that often the best way to develop ones own self interest is to look after the self interests of others.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes bottom up development is also\u00a0characterised\u00a0by groups of\u00a0people\u00a0coming together when they have shared\u00a0self\u00a0interests. \u00a0In bottom up development this coming together around common cause requires little engineering. It sometimes just happens. \u00a0But it can be supported and encouraged. It is often discouraged.<\/p>\n<p>Bottom up development is characterised by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Individuals working in their own self interests in the way that they see fit<\/li>\n<li>Individuals looking for \u00a0the resources that they need to make progress<\/li>\n<li>Individuals pondering their options<\/li>\n<li>Individuals coming together\u00a0around\u00a0common causes \u2013 forming associations and organising in order to increase their power<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>Bottom up is the only way to really get large numbers of people engaged in their own development and developing agency in their own lives and communities. Bottom up is about life in a participative democracy.<\/div>\n<p><strong>Bottom Up AND Top Down<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Both bottom up and top down processes of development are necessary in a modern society. \u00a0Top down to plan and provide the infrastructure required and bottom up to allow individuals and groups to use it effectively. \u00a0Nearly\u00a0all development\u00a0work\u00a0is done in a top down way. \u00a0It is my contention that we need to invest significantly in bottom up development and its relationship to top down, if we are to build\u00a0communities\u00a0full of active citizens. \u00a0If we are to encourage civic enterprise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Top Down Development Top down development is characterised by usually a small number of people recruited or elected to develop a \u2018strategy\u2019 that will lead to progress. The \u2018strategy\u2019 is usually\u00a0accompanied\u00a0by a \u2018plan\u2019, where costed elements are prioritised and scheduled for delivery in the full expectation that things will, as a result, get better. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-community-2","category-leadership","category-management","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2509"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2509\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/realisedevelopment.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}