Planning is a key tool which influences decisions about priorities and resource allocation, and aims to influence the direction, and pace of development. Sectoral planning focuses on one particular sector, while integrated development planning can be at different levels - local, provincial or national. It also often involves linkages between different levels of government, and so is an opportunity to enshrine micro-macro links, as well as to integrate actions of different government and non-government agencies. So planning is a major point where integration - and the Sustainable Livelihoods principles of holism and partnerships can be fostered. Undertaking development planning requires an understanding of the development process as well as planning skills. Implicit to the concept of development planning is the need for learning through doing so that mistakes of the past are not repeated.