Kazakhstan has a structured system of state planning. At the top are key documents like the National Development Plan and the development plans of government agencies and national companies. These define the country’s long-term direction. But in practice, the system goes far beyond that.
When new tasks appear or reforms are needed, government bodies create additional documents. In the system, they are called “other planning documents.” These include national projects, development concepts, strategies, state programs, comprehensive plans, roadmaps, and the national infrastructure plan.
Today, there are around 95 such documents. And the number keeps growing. New concepts are being drafted, including in areas like innovation. At the same time, older documents are being updated or replaced as their срок expires, for example in the creative industries. Some turnover is normal. Every year, certain documents reach the end of their cycle.
In 2025, several comprehensive plans and concepts were completed, including:
- regional development plans for Mangystau, North Kazakhstan, Aktobe, Ekibastuz, West Kazakhstan, Turkestan, and Atyrau
- the privatization plan
- plans for developing the pharmaceutical and medical industry
- the “Archive – 2025” project
- initiatives to protect children, prevent suicide, and support their rights
- measures against the shadow economy
- programs promoting the value of work in society
In 2026, another five major concepts are set to conclude, including those on anti-corruption policy, competition development, civil protection, financial monitoring, and healthcare. But the real issue is no longer just the number of documents.It is what they actually deliver.
The system is good at producing plans. But it struggles to give a clear, unified view of results. It is often unclear which measures are working, which ones overlap, and which ones have little real impact. As a result, a gap is growing between planning and actual management. The more documents there are, the more fragmented the system becomes.
If this approach does not change, adding more documents will only make things worse. Managing such a system manually is becoming increasingly difficult. This is why the focus needs to shift to better manageability.
One practical step is to use AI-based tools for monitoring and analysis. Such a system could:
- track implementation in real time
- compare planned targets with actual outcomes
- detect duplication and inconsistencies
- provide clear feedback for decision-making
The idea is simple. Move away from planning as a paperwork exercise and toward management based on real data and results. Only then can the system move from producing more documents to actually delivering better outcomes.
National Bureau of Economic Research specifically for EconomyKZ.org
