Local Development Strategies Without Strategic Thinking: Lost in Between Politicians' Games, Administrations' Rigidity and Planner's Depression

Abstract

A large number of different strategies at the central, regional and local level have been done in the last decade in Serbia. Studies on their quality show that quite a number of strategic documents meet the standards in their form, but in terms of the content, they do not have a clear strategy and strategic projects, they overlap and are poorly intercoordinated. The paper indentifies and discusses the stages and steps in the strategic planning process, that are crucial for formulating long-term sustainable development solutions for a specific territory and the improvement of its citizens’ lives. Its main thesis is that the local strategies lack the strategic thinking, i. e. that the solutions are not based on its products. Attitudes about the causes of the lack of the strategic in the strategies are illustrated with a specific example: the planning process and the content of the Development strategy of the City of Pančevo.