Abstract:
Integrated development planning seeks to shift from rigid, complex, and autocratic approaches
to a more democratic, strategic and integrated form where grassroots communities have a say in
their own development. South Africa’s post-1994 government has been enforcing integrated
development planning to promote democracy and the delivery of services to grassroots
communities. There is a growing concern that the integrated development planning in its current
form has not achieved these intended outcomes despite it being purported to be a product of a
phased inclusive participatory process. This study sought to develop a refined integrated
development planning process using the case of Mbombela Local Municipality in Mpumalanga
province. The specific objectives were to: (1) to determine the preferred criteria for assessing
each phase of integrated development planning process; (2) to determine the extent to which
key stakeholders play their designated roles in formulating the IDP; (3) to analyse the major
weaknesses of each phase of the process; (4) to critique the legal framework governing the
integrated development planning in South Africa. A sequential exploratory mixed methods
design was applied where quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 265 participants
and 7 key informants from the Mbombela Local Municipality, Ehlanzeni District Municipality and
the Mpumalanga Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. These were
selected because of the role they play in the integrated development planning.
The study established that the current integrated development planning is not effective in
responding to the needs of the communities because, it lack stakeholders participation, by-in
and ownership. Key stakeholders were not involved in all the phases of the process and there
was misalignment between the integrated development planning projects and the community
needs. Community participation, leadership, impact, compact and monitoring were suggested as
the major criteria for assessing quality of the integrated development planning. The study
established that the legislation have sufficiently laid a framework for the integrated development
planning. However, it did not clarify the extent at which the communities must be involved in the
process. The study recommends a new refined integrated development planning process which
highlights that inclusive stakeholder participation should be compulsory in all the phases. Project
and integration stages should be integrated to constitute one phase and key planning elements
such as digital participation, ward-based budgeting, integrated service delivery, integrated
