Planning the Process of Improving the Planning Process: A Case Study in Meta-Planning

Most of the published literature on planning is either prescriptive i.e., what ought to be the way planning is done, or descriptive i.e., how it is actually carried out. This paper addresses the problem of moving from a relatively ineffective planning process to one that meets the prescriptive characteristics it theoretically ought to contain. The premise of the paper is that the conversion of a planning system needs as much planning as the process being planned. Hence, the short-hand title of “meta-planning.” The argument is made for more research on meta-planning, some initial hypotheses are developed toward a theory of meta-planning, and an extensive case study is presented to show, the credibility of the hypotheses.