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The Importance of
the integrated
development plan in
South African
Municipalities
Introduction

Integrated development plan, this give an overall framework for development. Its
main aim is to co-ordinate the work of local and other spheres of government
simultaneously to improve the quality of life for everyone living in that area. It takes
into account existing conditions and problems and the resources which are available
to the development of that area.

This is a process where municipalities have to prepare what we call a strategic

development plan which lasts for a period of 5 years. The municipal systems Act 32
of 2006 provide that all municipalities have to undertake an IDP process in order to
produce IDP's.
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Contents

Integrated development plans are the main important planning instruments in the
local government of South Africa .They are the statutory requirements of our
municipal systems Act and they serve as a key tool in our developmental local
government. The planning process involves working with residents in order to
establish the vision for the municipality because it will promote economic
development, Provide infrastructure and ensure that long term sustainability is
always available.

Integrated development plans have shown that it is a robust instrument for urban
strategic planning in most municipalities. It has been systematically implemented. It
is being monitored on an ongoing basis and it is reviewed annually so that it can
respond to changing internal and external conditions. Integrated development
planning concept is made up the following Core components;

• Development Strategies

-Council development priorities and objectives

-Council development strategies

-Project integration

-Spatial development frame work

-Disaster management plan

-Integrated finance plan

-Other integrated programmes

-Key Performance indicators and performance targets

-Integrated development planning is a management tool and its enjoys high status
because it helps municipalities to:
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-Obtain access to development resources and outside environment.

-It provides a clear and accountable leadership and development direction.

-Develop Co-operative relationships with stakeholders and cooperative relationships

with stakeholders and communities

-Monitor performance of all the municipal officials

-Provides officials with a mechanism to communicate with councillors.

-It enables officials to contribute to the municipality vision and its decision making
process. Integrated development plan implementation concept is based on the
framework for city development strategies complied by united cities and local
governments .We have three major stages of development which we can identify the
graphic illustration shows that the city development strategy process is a cyclical
planning methodology which does not end when the project activities are
implemented city development strategy builds on a powerful communication in order
to improve performance this type of methodology can be seen a role model for most
city development strategy implementation .

Local government have seen integrated development planning plans fail because of
the following

• Clear boundaries between local government responsibilities and those of

central government were not established. Transferring functions should
ensure that local government have the necessary required capacity it to
perform their functions

• Plans focused only on local economic developments side-lining of other

aspects of urban development, this is including organization of territory
sustainability/civic, civic citizenship, cultural identity and democracy amongst
other aspects.

• The focus was only on the municipal action programmes strategies that are
supported only by local government are fragile when electoral change takes
place

• Weak strategic content that has a general and value objectives leads to lack
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of responsibility to deliver between competent bodies.

• Strategies that are created for the wrongs reason have no clear focus ,they
are sometimes merely intended for the city marketing and they are not
connected to the tasks or with a clear commitment to implementation

• Potential for public support was ignored e; g limited to providing information.

• Problems were analysed and solved as they arose ,cities from all the regions
mostly in African and Europe have reported experiencing being imprisoned in
daily management and troubleshooting

• A lack of support from higher government authorities or if there is a lack of

disconnection between the local and national government

• Lack of leadership by local government has led to strategies which are driven
by experts or groups who do not have political legitimation.

• Financing fell short and there was a lack of relation to municipal budgets.

• Lack of ability to push for joint commitment from all the stakeholders and for
cross-city working with neighbour’s municipalities.

Integrated development planning it is a policy and part of the municipal urban

development; the budget has to be thoroughly integrated indirectly with the
municipality public expenditure. IDP serves different sectors such as housing and
settlement, infrastructure, safety, education, culture arts and tourism ,IDP has budget
of its own but needs serious financial investments in order to implement various
integrated sector plans integrated development planning is an overarching policy
guiding urban development in all sectors.

Even if there isn’t a specified budget needed it is required to invest human resources
in IDP. Qualified and dedicated qualified personnel are required for the integrated
development plan to be designed. Integrated development planning it is a statutory
medium term; it is a 5 years strategic plan that guides socio-economic and spatial
development and service delivery within a municipality.

IDP has significant features such as conceptualisation production and

implementation and they are set out as follows;
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• Integrated development planning has to be initiated with the full support of the
major this is important for driving formulation consultation and approval
processes.

• Integrated development plan is formulated in conjunction with the growth and

development strategy that defines the long term vision and strategy.

• IDP goes hand in hand with the performance management system in order
implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all the defined commitments

• Stakeholder participation which had and extensive process of stakeholder

participation

• Inter-government alignment where IDP was created in close-conjunction with

other spheres of government and adjacent municipalities to ensure inter-
governmental and inter-municipal alignment and integration

Conclusion

The integrated development plan is an important tool in South Africa and it remains
the principal strategic planning instrument which guides and informs all planning
developments all decisions with regards to planning management and development
in the municipalities. In IDP Implementation is made easier because relevant
stakeholders are part of the process.

IDP provides deadlock-breaking mechanisms to make sure that the project and the
programmes are efficient implemented. The IDP helps to develop realistic project
proposals based on the availability of resources.

Bibliography

1, http://sbm.gov.za/inegrated-development planning

Afsis -Corplan (2013) explaining the role of ward committees in enhancing

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participatory local governance and development in South Africa available at

http://www.afesis.org.za/learningdocuments/afesis%zowkpj%20booklet%zoerntpdf.(
Accessedon19may2023

2 , Beresford , so toll, September Unravelling apartheid spatial planning legislation

in South Africa. In urban forum vol.22, No3 (pp 247-263) springs Netherlands.