Integrated Development Plan
What is it?
A municipal integrated development plan (IDP) is a five-year strategic narrative (plan) of the guiding principles, strategic focus areas and development priorities of a municipality as a government institution and as a spatially demarcated area. The IDP assists a municipality to coordinate its work with the other spheres of government with the overall aim of improving the quality of life of local communities in South Africa. In order for it to serve its purpose well, an IDP must be aligned with the municipality's service delivery and budget implementation plan (SDBIP). Sector-specific legislation may require additional municipal plans that should be incorporated with the IDP.
Basis in law
An IDP underpins the developmental mandate of local government as articulated in chapter 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
The IDP process, prescribed content, review requirements etc. are clearly articulated in the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 (sections 23 - 37). The law is clear that municipal planning must be developmentally oriented.
Various other pieces of legislation contain provisions that aim at alignment with the municipal IDP. Examples include:
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National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 |
S 16(4)(b) |
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National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008 |
S 11(4)(a)(ii) |
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National Environmental Management: Air Quality Management Act 39 of 2004 |
S 15(2) |
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National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Management Act 10 of 2004 |
Ss 45(d)(ii), 48(1)(b), 48(2), 54 and 76(2)(b) |
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National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act 57 of 2003 |
Ss 39(4) and 41(3) |
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Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act 16 of 2013 |
Ss 5(1), 20(2) and 24(2)(g) |
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National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act 24 of 2008 |
Ss 42(4)(e), 46(4), 48(4), 51 and 52(4) |
Environmental application
The IDP is the key strategic planning instrument of the municipality. Unless the environment and environmental management feature in the IDP, it is unlikely that it will become part of the business and orientation of the municipality. The Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 (s 23(1)(c)) states that the IDP is intended to help contribute to the progressive realisation of the constitutional environmental right as well as the right of access to sufficient water, for example.
The environmental application of the IDP is also evident from the number of environmental management laws requiring alignment of sectoral environmental plans with the IDP of a municipality.
The IDP is the ideal instrument to set targets for local environmental governance and to ensure that the annual budget and decisions of the municipality are oriented towards greener and more environmentally sustainable local governance.
One may assume that unless matters such as climate mitigation, climate adaptation, greener procurement, water conservation or the protection of indigenous plants and species appear in the IDP of a municipality, it is unlikely that these matters will receive priority in decision-making or policy-making in the municipality.
