ABSTRACT
What has so far been done in this volume is to demonstrate what planners need to know in order to identify and select local-level development projects. This volume has therefore addressed questions such as: What information should planners collect for this purpose? How should they scrutinize and analyze that information? In what way should they organize the results of the analysis? How should they read the results for purposes of decision making? While addressing these questions, the one stream of thought that flowed through this volume was that the project selection process is inextricably linked with, and not independent of, the overall goals of local development. The process of project selection is continuously guided, controlled, and facilitated by these goals, objectives, and sometimes even by development targets. The goals may be explicitly given, may be vague or implicit, but they are invariably in the forefront of project analysis. Losing sight of them means losing a sense of purpose and direction of development itself. Contrary to what many may believe, the project selection process is not benefit-cost analysis; rather, it is a process that involves examination of every single proposal with respect to local development goals and objectives.
