The development of national development plans requires a broad-based consultative process involving active, free and meaningful engagement of multiple stakeholders that include the government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), private sector, civil society organisations, development partners, chiefs, religious community, media, diaspora, academia and the local communities.
The National Planning Commission is mandated to coordinate the formulation of long term development plans and therefore, engagement of all stakeholders regardless of sex, socio-economic status, location, religion and tribe is critical in order to ensure that no one is left behind and that long-term development plans reflects the aspirations of all Malawians.
Medium-term Development Plans are designed to guide the implementation of long-term development aspirations, which in Malawi currently are enshrined in the Vision 2020.
Thus the Third Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS III), which was preceded by MGDS I and MGDS II, was launched in March 2018 to operationalize the Vision 2020.
The National Planning Commission has therefore, been entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating the implementation of such medium term plans with all stakeholders in order to ensure the alignment of all developmental efforts to the long term national vision.