Integrated Development Planning (IDP) was introduced in the Republic of South Africa in 1996 in order to integrate the work of a fragmented local government system with that of other spheres of government, structures and stakeholders for the attainment of a developmental local government agenda. In terms of section 152 and 153 of the Constitution, municipalities are required to play a critical role in basic service delivery and developmental local government. In order to fulfil these responsibilities municipalities are expected to develop Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) within their area of jurisdiction as provided for in the Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000. Conceptually, IDPs represent a comprehensive framework for achieving the above objective given their emphasis on participatory, technical, good governance and project management principles. The findings of this study which explores the complexity of implementing IDPs in Mopani indicate that the success of the IDP is depended on a myriad of efficiencies, capabilities and factors which the municipality must address in order to deliver on its developmental mandate.

Keywords: Integrated development planning, local government, efficiency, challenges and constraints.