Green Paper on
National Strategic Planning
The Presidency
November 2009
Introduction

Definition of a Green Paper: a discussion
document of government setting out its intended
policy position on a key issue.
– This Green Paper outlines the position of national
government on planning and coordination at the centre of
government.

The Green Paper does four key things:
– It sets out the rationale for planning …

… drawing on international experience and our own history
– It describes the institutions required in the planning
process and their respective roles

In particular, it establishes a National Planning Commission
– It defines the outputs of the planning process
– It gives an indication of what content issues a plan is
likely to deal with
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The context for this green
paper

Four specific roles of the Presidency
– Policy coherence

Read – developing a coherent plan
– Policy coordination

Read – driving the agenda through government
– Driving performance

Read – Performance monitoring and evaluation
– Communicating clearly


This green paper deals mainly with the first issue
but touches on both coordination and
performance monitoring and evaluation (and on
planning as a form of communication)
This green paper was tabled alongside a paper on
performance management
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Why strategic planning?

It will take a long time to achieve the
Constitutional ideals in their intended fullness.
– Thus in order to ensure constant focus, we need to set
milestones and targets to mark our progressive
movement towards these objectives.


Experience over the past 15 years has taught us
that milestones and targets should be set out in
an integrated plan of the nation as a whole, to
guide our actions and orient our posture.
What is needed is a coherent plan around which
programmes, priorities and budgets can be
shaped.
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Why the need for strategic planning?
Can We Blaze A New Trail?


For many, opportunities remain skewed by
history.
The structure of the economy has not changed
significantly in a hundred years
– To move towards a structure that is more inclusive,
labour intensive, equitable, productive, diverse and
more integrated into the world economy will take time.

Markets on their own are not capable of
initiating and leading such fundamental social
and economic restructuring
– The state has a leading role to play in reshaping the
economy so that it is better able to meet the needs of
the majority of South Africans. Partnership with all
social actors is required.
5
Some lessons from international
experience
Strategic planning and better management of development
processes requires quality Institutions
The systems, institutions and processes of strategic planning vary
from country to country, and are informed by the history,
socio-economic conditions and culture of each country
Success in ensuring sustained growth and development depends
largely on mobilisation of the public service and all of
society behind a long-term vision
The generic lesson is that planning is not a panacea. It does not
guarantee good outcomes. Good outcomes in terms of
development require solid institutions, a highly capable state,
strong relationships between the major social forces and focus
across the board on the strategic objective.
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6
What are the outputs of the planning
function?
Long term plan – Vision 2025
 Medium Term Strategic Framework
(MTSF)

– Complete with high level outcome indicators
or targets
Annual programmes of action (strongly
linked to core targets)
 Spatial development and regional
planning
 Sectoral research and papers on trends
to ‘nudge’ policy in sectors

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What is a long-term national
strategic plan likely to deal with?


A set of realistic goals for the country for 2025
Issues related to the development path to achieve these
goals
–
–
–
–
A job creating economic growth path
Human resource development
Employment and income security
Building sound and credible institutions that facilitate
development
– Spatial development perspectives
– Social cohesion

Environmental factors that affect development
–
–
–
–
–


Demographic change
Climate change
International economic environment
Regional stability
Water, energy and food security
Intergovernmental and intra governmental coordination
Building national consensus on the development plan
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What the planning function will
not do
 Micro-planning
planning
and sector
 Gate-keeping
 Budgeting
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Institutions in the Planning
process





Cabinet is the centre of authority in the
executive
A National Planning Commission consisting of
(external) Commissioners who are highly
respected strategic thinkers in society
The Minister for Planning is the link between the
Commission and Cabinet
Ministerial Committee will provide political
guidance to the planning function
A secretariat to the Commission
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Proposed institutional arrangements
Cabinet
Minister in the
Presidency for Planning
Ministerial
committee on
planning




National
Planning
Commission
Secretariat to the
Commission
The NPC would develop a long term plan, the spatial planning
framework, and oversee research papers on issues relevant to our
long term development path
Cabinet is ultimately tasked with approving long-term plans and
spatial plans
The Minister is tasked with serving as the link between Cabinet and
the NPC
The MTSF and POA is to be coordinated by the Minister, with political
guidance provided by the Ministerial Committee
Intergovernmental Planning

Establishes a number of key principles:
– NSP not a unidirectional, rigid top-down process;
– Inform and be informed by sector plans and provincial
and local plans
– Build on existing structures (e.g. PCC)
– The Presidency will develop linkages with counterparts in
other spheres and assist with and support the
strengthening of planning and coordination capacity
– Discourage the uncritical replication of national
structures
– The NSP derived from such iterative processes be
collectively owned and commitment exists to
consistently implement across the country