ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY IN REGIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The initial foray into the subject of strategy quickly revealed that strategy per se is a very complex and ambiguous topic with little consensus among the experts. Yet a very clear understanding of ‘strategy ’ is essential before it can be applied in context to regional local government. It is the author’s view that many of the ‘strategies ’ published as local government policy are not based on strategic thinking but rather ‘extrapolation of historical data ’ – the strategic planners themselves have acknowledged this fact. This paper reviews various theories and aspects of ‘strategy ’ for the purpose of clarifying the concept and placing it in context of local government strategy development