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Rational Planning Model

25/08/2020 / By admin / Planning Theory

Evolution of di erent planning models

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Di erent authors and scholars coined di erent planning theories which evolved over time. Planning theories are an
attempt to re ne the planning process so as to produce better plans. With more and more people working some of
the well-known planning concepts like rational planning model, advocacy planning concept, collaborative planning
theory, political economic model in urban planning, critical minimum e orts theory etc. emerged. Among these
Rational Planning Model is considered to be most successful and even used today.

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A brief history of Rational Planning Model

The  rational planning model is the process of understanding a problem by establishing and evaluating planning
criteria, formulation of alternatives and implementing them and nally monitoring   the progress of the chosen
alternatives. The rational planning model is central in the development of transport planning & modern planning.
Similarly, rational decision-making model is a process of making decisions which are logically sound. This multi-step
model and aims to be logical and follow the orderly path from problem identi cation through solution.

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Rational Planning Model

The RCM (Rational Comprehensive Model) for planning owes its origins to Enlightenment epistemology
(Sandercock, 1998; Allmendinger, 2002), as it is centred on decisions and principles that are based on reason, logic
and scienti c facts with little or no emphasis on values and emotions. Due to its tendency towards scienti c method
and its decision-making process, Faludi has termed it ‘procedural planning theory’. He sees planning as a procedure
and declares that “the planning theorist depends on rst-hand experience, re ects upon it, and puts it into context”
(Faludi, 1978:179). Therefore, the planner learns from experience and can de ne the correct method or procedure
to follow to get the correct result. Meanwhile Sandercock (1998) refers to the rational comprehensive model as
‘technocratic planning’ due to its emphasis on technical expertise and skills and its steadfast belief that technology
and social science can be used to solve our problems.

Related: Advocacy Planning Concept

Terms used in Rational Decision Model

Goals – Goals are broad statements that we intend to achieve. They are quite general and abstract.
Objectives – Objectives are more speci c, measurable and clear as they help to progress towards the goals.
They are the means to actually ful l the goals.
Targets – they are further speci c and specify the time against which the actions need to be completed.
Data – Data is raw, unorganized facts that need to be processed.
Information – When data is processed, organized, structured or presented in a given context so as to make it
useful, it is called Information.
Model – A model is simply a schematic but precise description of the system using assumptions, which
appears to t its past behaviour and which can, therefore, be used, it is hoped, to predict the future
Projections – Projections are usually carried out based on a number of alternative assumptions based on
trends of growth and other linked factors like future policy of the government, attitude of people etc. They
refer to the probable value of data in future.
Estimate – Estimate refers to the past date. For example, suppose we wish to have population of India for
2009 today, which is not available, so we have to estimate it based on some previous available data of other
years.
Forecast – Forecast has an element of prediction into the near future using current data and sophisticated
instruments. For instance, forecasting the weather in the next 24 hours.

Stages of Rational Planning Model

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Related: Collaborative Planning Theory

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Criticism of Rational Planning Model

Critique of the Rational Comprehensive Planning Model: The RCM of planning has been the subject of numerous
criticisms. Michael Thomas (1982:14, in Paris, 1982) criticised the RCM’s focus on means rather than ends and
claimed that the model is “essentially ‘contentless’ in that it speci es thinking and acting procedures but does not

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investigate what is the content of these” (Thomas, 1982, p.14, in Paris 1982). The model is accused of being abstract
“o ering merely an extended de nition of planning and not saying anything about how planning in practice
operated or what its e ects were” (Taylor 1998:96). Advocate planners argued that what was portrayed as the
‘Public interest’ in the RCM represented merely the interests of the privileged. They maintain that no common social
interest exists and that the RCM neglects the interests of both the poor and nature (Campbell and Fainstein 2003).

The comprehensiveness of the model has also come under question by such critics as Lindblom (2003 in Campbell
and Fainstein 2003) and Altshuler (1965), who argue that due to limited time and resources available for making a
decision and exploring all alternative options it is practically impossible to be thoroughly comprehensive (Taylor
1998; Campbell and Fainstein 2003). It also requires an exceptional level of knowledge, analysis and organisational
coordination to absorb and make sense of all the relevant information; planners may end up being more confused
and thus less rational (Campbell and Fainstein 2003; Taylor 1998). Forester (1999:46) argues that even if planners
are “quite alone” in making a rational decision, they will still do so in anticipation of certain other people’s opinions
whom “they know they must nally come to some form of agreement”, and so the decision is neither fully
comprehensive or rational in this sense.

Sandercock (1998:88) points out that in this model “the planner is indisputably ‘The knower’, relying strictly on ‘his’
professional expertise and objectivity to do what is best for an undi erentiated public”. Sandercock also highlights
the point that the RCM “privileges scienti c and technical knowledge over an array of equally important alternatives
– experiential, intuitive, local knowledges” (Sandercock 1998:5). Knowledge gained from these practical and
analytical modes by de nition exclude those without professional training. This knowledge is based on technical
jargons and is preferred to knowledge gained through other practices such as talking, listening, seeing,
contemplating, and sharing.

Adding to the above limitations, there are a lot of assumptions, requirements without which the rational decision
model is a failure. Therefore, they all have to be considered. The model assumes that we have or should or can
obtain adequate information, both in terms of quality, quantity and accuracy. This applies to the situation as well as
the alternative technical situations. It further assumes that you have or should or can obtain substantive knowledge
of the cause and e ect relationships relevant to the evaluation of the alternatives. In other words, it assumes that
you have a thorough knowledge of all the alternatives and the consequences of the alternatives chosen. It further
assumes that you can rank the alternatives and choose the best of it. The following are the limitations for the
Rational Decision Making Model:
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requires a great deal of time

requires great deal of information
assumes rational, measurable criteria are available and agreed upon
assumes accurate, stable and complete knowledge of all the alternatives, preferences, goals and
consequences
assumes a rational, reasonable, non – political world

What makes Rational Planning Model successful?

Ration decision model is considered to be most practical and apt for the needs of the planning process. Its based
on the scienti c reasoning which takes into account the use of modern technology and increased data collection.
The data collected helps in establishing the rationale and thus helps in making a claim. Another characteristic is the
preparation of alternative and then choosing best among the alternatives. Moreover as the process completes the
last step for the rst time addressed the problem of rigidity. Planning processes is often criticized for being too
rigid. The feedback and monitoring provides the much-needed exibility in the whole process so that timely
modi cations can be made to the plan.

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