The administration of a rural development project: Part 2—Historical background and economic perspective to higher education for rural development in Malawi

Abstract

The indigenous source of agriculturalists for Malawi's National Rural Development Programme (NRDP) has been, since 1967, Bunda College, University of Malawi. In Part 1, administrative experience of the College's Rural Development Department provided insights into professional linkages to overcome the divergence of disciplines related to rural development. These linkages can provide a basis for the administration of rural development projects. The historical background to the NRDP, an evolutionary stage of development policy, and an examination of selected indicators of economic progress are considered here in Part 2.

During Malawi's colonial history, early policy protected smallholders' rights and encouraged commercialization in estates. The fundamental importance of smallholders came gradually into focus, gaining increasing emphasis with the movement toward independence. Then, in the mid-1970s, the NRDP was conceived as a multi-dimensional means of redressing the inequitable distribution of benefits resulting from the earlier, agriculture-focused development policy.

Indicators of economic progress suggest that rural Malawi is currently faring less well than a decade ago despite the expanding proportion of resources channelled into the NRDP. This is the context for which the University must have the capability for appropriately training personnel who can integrate the technical problems and complex issues in the administration of rural development in Malawi.