Guide for harmonised participatory development planning and management for lower local councils

This guide has been prepared to provide councils and agencies working in communities with a framework and guidelines to form the basis for participatory bottom up planning. The key process influencing this approach is decentralisation, which aims to promote effective participation of all stakeholders in the planning and decision making for improved service delivery and sustainable development. It also serves as a tool to facilitate local councils review their performance against previous plans. The harmonisation of planning processes and activities should enhance working relationships, lead to better consultation among stakeholders, sharing of resources and expertise, and ultimately lead to better co-ordinated plans and ownership of interventions.
The guide is divided into five chapters covering the following areas:
" An outline of the purpose and content of the guide and provide an overview of planning and the Local Government Planning and Budgeting Cycle;
" The participatory planning and management process;
" The Legal and Institutional Framework for participatory planning;
" How to implement a plan;
" Key activities, processes and expected outputs of the participatory planning process at the various Lower Council levels, also providing an outline of the relevant guide/tools per activity;
" The contents of a Lower Local Government Development Plan.