Decentralised regional development planning in Indonesia - Implications for training

Recent attempts to increase regional autonomy in Indonesia also increased t he demand for training for decentralised planning. The country's planning s trategy has to be matched by an appropriate training methodology. Developin g human resources and institutional capacity to handle decentralised planni ng are essential to the execution of a regional autonomy as envisaged by th e central government. A training framework that combines theory and practic e is therefore needed. And it needs to enable planners to acquire managemen t skills. However, national policy makers should also look beyond training issues, since true decentralisation means handing over power.