The purpose of the qualification is to enable qualifying learners to apply strategic level development and governance competencies to ensure integrated and sustainable development and governance processes, outcomes, structures, strategies, planning; implementation management, monitoring and evaluation at a municipal level.

Learners will develop competencies to manage strategic planning and development processes, and the associated local governance and consultation processes. 

At Individual level, learners will benefit through enhancing their personal competencies, knowledge and skills so as to be able to complete tasks required in their employment contracts and by legislation, relating to the:

• Designing and implementation of municipal integrated development plans
• Identification of key development priorities and agendas, within resource constraints and informed by a local, district wide, provincial and national strategic analysis and policy context.
• Development of proposals and strategic solutions beyond administrative boundaries and local resource/capacity constraints.
• Identification of realistic and sustainable projects and development paths for cities and districts, within existing intergovernmental framework.
• Implementation of integrated development plans and facilitation of democratic and accountable local governance.
• Provision of inputs from municipal integrated development planning process into the planning processes and plans of other role players and spheres.