District Development Model Advisory - 2024

This note sets out the National Planning Commission’s advice on how the District Development Model (DDM) can be used as a mechanism to implement the NDP, improve intergovernmental alignment and coordination, and address failures in service delivery at a local level. While recognising the importance of alignment of intergovernmental service delivery and a coordinated response, it identifies the challenges with the implementation of the DDM based on research, interactions and engagements. The advisory note provides an analysis of these challenges related to a lack of clarity about objectives, coordination, effective governance, data utilisation, and stakeholder engagement and proposes targeted interventions to ensure that the model facilitates service delivery and achieves the developmental objectives of the NDP. 2. Introduction and Background The District Development Model (DDM) was introduced in President Ramaphosa’s 2019 budget speech, and was subsequently adopted by Cabinet, the Presidential Coordinating Council, and through several MinMECs. The DDM is envisaged as an approach in which the three spheres of government and state entities coordinate their planning and budgeting into a single plan to improve impact, create greater coherence in service delivery, and have better development outcomes. It is also viewed as a social compact that brings together the key players in district and metropolitan (metro) municipalities to unlock development and economic opportunities. The introduction of the DDM must be understood in the context of the challenges that arose in the local sphere of government over time. The democratic government ushered in a system of characterised by three distinct, interrelated, and interdependent spheres. Local government, the sphere closest to the people, was tasked with implementing national, provincial, and local policies, promoting democracy, social and economic development, and providing essential services. To achieve these ambitious goals, the municipal structures, boundaries and responsibilities system were reorganised. The concept of an Integrated Development Plan (IDP) was introduced as a central element of developmental local government to ensure that municipal activities and budgets are focused on its core local goals and priorities. Despite numerous advances since the democratic local government elections on 5 December 2000, many local governments are in financial distress and face severe governance challenges.