I. Context

· DPLGA’s Strategic and Corporate Plan (2004 – 2007) is anchored in the mandates given to DPLGA by the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Governments (LLGs) and the current Medium Term Development Strategy 2003 - 2007 (MTDS).

· The MTDS is the country’s leading strategic document, and all government agency corporate plans must necessarily be anchored in it. It establishes a clear framework for the contribution of provincial and local level governments to the national development process. Its key strategic objectives are:

o Good Governance and Public Sector Reform for all levels of government

o Export-driven Growth

o Rural Development, Poverty Reduction, Human Development

· All of the above three strategic objectives of the MTDS fall squarely within the mandate of the provincial and local governments. Little can be achieved in any of the three without major improvements in the performance of sub national governments.

· The Organic Law has recognized the importance and significance of the role of provincial and LLGs. They are the arms of government that can be best responsive to the needs of the people. They are best able to hear the voice of the people and be accountable to them.

· Herein lies the challenge and the Mission of DPLGA. DPLGA is quite literally the key link between the provincial and LLGs on the one hand, and national government on the other. It is the channel through which national government primarily communicates to sub national governments, and the mechanism by which these lower level governments express their needs and requests at the national level. In many ways, the efficiencies and effectiveness of lower level governments reflect the effectiveness of DPLGA whose primary mandate is to support provincial and local level governments