Document: SALGA LED Position Paper: Key issues in LED in South Africa and a potential role for SALGA

As part of the process to develop a detailed strategic plan of action and business plan for the Directorate of Economic Development and Planning, SALGA has appointed an expert to undertake research to provide input in the area of local economic development.

The key objective of this work is to investigate and table the key issues that affect LED and the LED process in South Africa, and to highlight where and how there is a role for SALGA to play in improving the effectiveness of LED planning and implementation. In order to deliver this objective, the following activities will form the scope of work:

1. A high-level scan and analysis of the policy and legislative environment impacting on local economic development.
2. A high-level scan of the key relevant institutional arrangements and key role players, such as the DTI, foreign donors, etc.
3. Identification of the key issues within the global, continental, national and local context relevant to local economic development in South Africa.
4. Identification of the key issues that differentiate the process and implementation of LED in rural versus urban local authorities, and various categories of local authorities. .
5. Identification of those areas where there is a role for SALGA to play in improving the quality of LED planning and implementation, and briefly describe the nature of those interventions.
6. Based on the outputs in (5) above, development of a medium term action plan and a one year business plan for the Economic Development and Planning directorate.