An Integrated Development Plan (IDP) is the primary five-year strategic document that guides a municipality’s planning, budgeting, and overall development. Mandated by the Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000, the IDP serves as a "super plan" to align the efforts of local, provincial, and national government into a single coherent strategy for improving resident quality of life.
The IDP Cycle
The plan operates on a five-year lifespan, coinciding with the term of the municipal council, and must be reviewed annually.
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Phase |
Description |
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1. Analysis |
Assessing existing conditions, infrastructure backlogs, and community needs. |
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2. Strategies |
Defining the vision and objectives based on the analysis. |
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3. Projects |
Identifying specific projects to achieve the set objectives. |
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4. Integration |
Ensuring alignment with other plans (e.g., Disaster Management, Financial Plan). |
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5. Approval |
The municipal council adopts the plan for the upcoming financial year. |
Core Purpose and Legal Status
Legislative Mandate: Every municipality must adopt a single, inclusive strategic plan for its development.
Strategic Alignment: It links sectoral plans (e.g., water, transport, waste) with the municipal budget, spatial development frameworks, and performance targets.
Priority Setting: IDPs focus on addressing historical disparities, particularly in rural areas and informal settlements, to bridge the gap in service delivery.
Budgetary Link: The IDP informs the council’s annual budget; projects not reflected in the IDP typically cannot be funded or implemented.
The key activities for this process include:
The Strategic Review of the contents of the IDP Review.
The development and finalization of sector plans.
Alignment with sector departments and service providers.
A filtering process whereby the IDP and Sector Plans are integrated with the resource framework.
The development of a detailed implementation framework; and the preparation of the IDP.
The development of Spatial Development Framework (SDF) and SDP with capital investment framework.
SPLUMA implementation requirements
Alignment of the IDP with the national and provincial policies such as NSDP and PGDS.
IDP assessments and self-assessment
New Council priorities and new policies and legislations
District initiative of War on Poverty/operation Sukuma Sakhe
Outcomes based approach (Cabinet Lekgotla Resolutions, District Lekgotla Resolutions, OPMS, State of the Nation Address, State of the Province Address, PGDS and PDP, Outcome 9, Back to basics, MTAS and COP22), DDM-One plan. Back2basics, Climate change.
Amongst others, the following responsibilities have been allocated to the IDP Unit for the IDP Process:
To ensure that the IDP framework and Process plan is finalized and submitted to Council for adoption.
To adjust the IDP according to the proposals of the MEC and draft assessments.
To ensure the continuous participation of role players.
To monitor the participation of role players.
To ensure appropriate procedures are followed.
To ensure documentation is prepared properly.
To carry out the day-to-day management of the IDP process.
To respond to comments and enquiries.
To ensure alignment of the IDP with the IDP’s of local municipalities within the district
To co-ordinate the preparation of the Sector Plans and their inclusion into the IDP documentation.
To co-ordinate the inclusion of the Performance Management System (PMS) into the IDP.
To ensure that the IDP complies with the relevant legislations
To ensure that the IDP is finalized and submitted to Council for adoption.
To submit the reviewed IDP to the relevant authorities.
IDP UNIT STAFF COMPLEMENT
The IDP unit is positioned in the Office of the Municipal Manager, and it comprises of three personnel namely:
IDP Manager who reports directly to the Municipal Manager
IDP Officer
IDP Clerk