Since the mid-twentieth century, there has been an academic debate on the fundamental causes affecting inequality in global socio-economic development. The interdisciplinary nature of research has contributed to the theoretical changes in the literature concerning the determinants of development on the African continent. Most developing countries are constantly struggling with the same problems, and many development strategies and plans do not achieve their intended goals. Representatives of the institutional approach pointed to the correlation between the level of the current development and the quality and effectiveness of the institutions that formulate the development policy. The purpose of this presentation will be to identify formal institutions involved in the process of shaping long-term and medium-term development plans for Tanzania. Development plans are in most cases the result of decisions made within a certain institutional order. It is assumed that the efficiency of a given economy may depend on institutions playing an active role in its planning. The analysis will explain the discrepancies between visions of Tanzania's development promulgated by the changing state political ideologies and neoliberal international organizations.
