Developing and implementing an effective framework for cooperative governance and local economic development (LED) in South African local government

The lack of a comprehensive institutional framework to promote joint participation in the development of local economies has hampered grassroots development efforts in South African communities. The majority of the South African local government authorities struggle to fulfil their developmental mandate. Notably, there're certain collaborative governance factors that tend to enhance the effectiveness and control of localised development. These factors are not captured in the integrated conceptual model that articulately depicts the relationships between these variables and their impacts on the perceived outcome of LED. This negatively impacts the municipality's ability to manage localised development well in collaboration with relevant stakeholders. A complete understanding of the relationships and dynamics of these variables is required to make recommendations for improving management and response to socio-economic concerns within the community through improved LED governance. Data were collected in six municipalities in the Western Cape, South Africa, to address these challenges. A qualitative study design paradigm based on interpretive philosophy was employed. The instruments used to collect the data were document reviews, interviews, and focus group discussions. The study analyses and evaluates the design and implementation of collaborative governance policies and initiatives in selected local governments in the Western Cape, South Africa. A normative, collaborative governance framework was developed in the study. This captures not only the enhancing and limiting factors of LED but also the relationship between these factors that can hinder the success of the collaboration between local governments and other key stakeholders. This integrated framework/model can inform future design, implementation, and evaluation of LED co-governance in small towns and future policies for improving co-governance and LED in small towns.