When Money Comes Up Short: Implementing Resource Coordination Systems to Redefine Planning for Economic Development

Urban planning traditionally treats money as the primary tool for economic development. But what happens when formal currency is scarce? This study examines Commitment Pooling, a blockchain-based Resource Coordination System implemented by Grassroots Economics in Kenya, where members trade promises (commitments) rather than just currency.

Seventeen active Commitment Pools were analyzed using a novel methodological combination: Elinor Ostrom's Social-Ecological Systems Framework paired with Qualitative Comparative Analysis. Five second-tier variables were evaluated as potential determinants of pool success. These included: Leadership, Number of Units, Economic Value, Productivity of Systems, and Predictability of System. 

Findings reveal Leadership as the dominant factor for successful pool management. Among pools scoring above the health threshold (considered healthy CPs), 7 out of 9 demonstrated strong Leadership; among unsuccessful pools (8), only 1 did. Institutionally-backed pools (universities, businesses) succeeded even with low Productivity of Systems, while community-oriented pools required different configurations.

A Pool Health Measuring Tool was developed assigning Leadership 60% weight, with remaining conditions serving complementary roles. The methodological pairing of SES and QCA proved successful and warrants further application in planning research. For practitioners, the tool offers a flexible framework. However, success ultimately depends on stewards' contextual knowledge and adaptive management capacity. Commitment Pooling shows promise for communities facing liquidity constraints, though blockchain complexity remains a barrier to broader replication.