Implementing integrated strategic plans in Free State municipalities

Local government in South Africa forms part of an overall state system also consisting of national and provincial government. Together their main objective is to promote the general welfare of the populace through service delivery and development initiatives. For the purpose of delivering services and promoting development local government is of significant importance as it is the state agency that citizens firstly come into contact with. The local sphere of government has undergone fundamental transformation, both from a political and structural point of view. In addition to local government becoming democratic structures in line with the overall democratisation of South Africa, the approach to and actual municipal structures also changed dramatically. Municipalities, the organisational units of local government, have the task of pursuing the "new" goals of local government within this changed environment. One of the significant changes that have been introduced into municipal management is the utilisation of an integrated strategic approach to organisational planning. This has been facilitated by legislative reform that provides for municipalities to compile integrated development plans (IDPs) and utilise it, together with budgets and performance management systems, to promote service delivery and development in their areas of jurisdiction. Therefore reference to the term integrated strategic planning. The introduction of this new system has, however, not been flawless with dissatisfaction about the service levels of municipalities being expressed through negative reporting on municipal performance from a variety of public role-players as well as through local communities illustrating their dissatisfaction through protest action. A critical question