The implementation of strategic planning and management in the Waterberg Municipalities, Limpopo Province

Abstract

The aim of the study is to evaluate the implementation of the strategic planning and management in Waterberg District municipalities and to identify any constraints that might be affecting the implementation of strategic planning and management which is the basis for poor service delivery, which in turn, causes service delivery protests by members of the public against municipalities, and in order to provide policy recommendations. Therefore, the approach to the research is qualitative because the study solicited for views and opinions of respondents, in this case, public officials, politicians and members of the public. The secondary data aspect included the reviewing of documents of different municipalities in terms of planning and their own management styles. The quantitative approach is also applied in this study to validate the municipal performance score cards which is a content analysis. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. The findings reflected the key issues with regard to the impact of the implementation of strategic planning and management in municipalities in the Waterberg district Limpopo Province. The study revealed appropriate opportunities for possible interventions to improve the implementation of strategic planning and management. The general conclusion as revealed by the study is that the municipal strategic plans are not successfully implemented and not properly managed. The audit opinions awarded to the municipalities bear reference to the matter. The study provided recommendations for municipalities to improve on the implementation of strategic planning and management. For instance, strategic plans need to be aligned with other municipal plans and the plans of other government spheres, namely, the provincial and national spheres of government; it is imperative that skilled personnel be appointed, the staff and councillors of a municipality must be trained and retained in order to ensure a high level of service provision; municipal capacity building should be a core element of a broader performance management strategy and all stakeholders of the municipalities should be capacitated and trained in terms of policy formulation so that they understand what is expected of them in terms of policy analysis, formulation and policy evaluation