The Bombay Urban Development Programme, Mumbai, India

Policy planning and implementation traditionally has been viewed as a linear process in which well-defined goals are smoothly translated into concrete actions in a static environment. However, in reality, it is symbolised by processes that routinely deviate from their formal procedures and circumvent the official decision-making channels. The present case study of the Bombay Urban Development Programme (BUDP) captures the dynamic nature of policy development. BUDP's performance is influenced by conflicts that arise in the socio-political and institutional arenas. The insights that emerge from this case are relevant to the manner in which policy analysis is approached and studied.