Making use of the feedback mechanism in a strategic management of a city

Abstract

Although it is not legally obligatory in Poland to prepare development strategies at local level, most local governments (local authorities) have developed such documents. However, the analysis of the strategic cycle in big Polish cities shows major weaknesses occurring after the planning stage: they can be noted from the design and work of implementation systems to the monitoring and financing of the strategies. Practical usage of the feedback loop in strategic management makes it necessary to join monitoring and management systems. Among seven cities analysed in the research, there is some potential for such a solution only in Poznan and Lodz. Also, none of the cities have used any evaluation tools for their strategies, which makes it difficult to analyse the effects of strategic actions. The growing popularity of urban governance will in the future be a guideline for the development of strategic management systems in Polish cities too.