Community perceptions on the integrated development plan as an effective delivery tool in Phokwane Municipality, Northern Cape

English: According to Gueli, Liebenberg and van Huyssteen (2007: 89) the South Africa transition during the 1990s was marked by unrivalled levels of political and social reconciliation. During this critical time, government institutions were quickly transformed to promote development and democracy. The South African Constitution of 1996 is internationally known for the provision of unusually extensive guarantees of economic and social rights and the delivery of public services. (The Constitution also provides a framework for the functioning of the public service and the responsibilities of the executive in relation to management of the public finances that is critical for public service delivery. (AfriMAP and Open Society Foundation for South Africa 2007:5, 6).) Local government authorities are challenged to develop programmes and provide services to address the needs of people with different experiences and status. The general assumption is that the local government sphere is the best place to address the needs of local communities. (Mathye 2002:01)The Integrated Development Plan (IDP) was introduced in order to enhance and encourage the good working relationship of different stakeholders and promote integrated planning amongst the stakeholders and service providers. This study investigates the perceptions of the community on the Integrated Development Plan (IDP)as an effective delivery tool. Phokwane Local Municipality, one of the four municipalities that fall within Frances Baard District Municipality, was selected as the study area for this research. The study of community perceptions was conducted through questionnaires and interviews of relevant stakeholders. The study found that the Municipality only communicates with the community during the IDP meetings. It also discovered that majority of respondents (i.e the community) do not know and understand the purpose of or even the IDP processes. This might be due to the low literacy level.