Small-Town Regeneration Insights #2

In this second post in the Small Town Regeneration Insights series, we shift focus to the very beginning of the process.

Laying the Foundation: What Happens Before Regeneration Starts

Before visible changes take place in a town, before buildings are restored, spaces are reopened, or projects begin, there’s quiet, important work that needs to happen first.

In the Small Town Regeneration Strategy (STR), this early phase is referred to as Phase 1: Lay the Groundwork. It focuses on ensuring the municipality and community are ready to work together, with clear roles, sufficient support, and a shared sense of direction.

This is often the phase that’s rushed or overlooked. But in practice, it’s where much of the long-term success is shaped.

Step 1: Forming the Right Teams

The STR begins by establishing two core teams. These aren’t temporary working groups. They’re structured, accountable teams that help lead the process through all four phases.

• The Municipal Task Team (MTT) comprises senior municipal officials from various departments, individuals who understand how the system operates. An official appointed by the Municipal Manager as the STR Project Manager leads this team and includes planning, infrastructure, LED, finance, and community development.
• The Community Task Team (CTT) brings in local voices. It includes respected residents who can reflect a broad range of experiences, from youth to business owners, to people living in informal or underrepresented areas.

Together, these teams ensure that planning is both technically sound and socially responsive. Each team plays a different role, but both are critical.  

📌 Regeneration can’t succeed without both internal coordination and community alignment. These two teams create the space for both.

Step 2: Checking For Readiness

Before moving into planning or engagement, the municipality completes a readiness assessment. This helps identify:

• Whether there’s political support from the mayor and council
• If internal staff capacity is in place to support the process
• What policies or plans are already active (e.g. SDFs, precinct plans)
• Who the key community stakeholders are, and how they’ve been involved before
• What additional support will be needed from provincial or national partners

This assessment isn’t only for municipalities; it gives communities clarity on where the process stands and whether the foundation is solid enough to build on.

Step 3: Clarifying Roles and Responsibilities

Once the teams are set up and readiness is confirmed, the municipality leads a process to clarify the roles and responsibilities of each team member. STR provides templates and tools to help define:

• The role of the municipal manager, mayor, and councillors
• Responsibilities of each municipal department involved
• The scope and accountability of the MTT and CTT
• How decisions are made, and how information is shared

This step strengthens coordination and avoids duplication, confusion, or delays later. Everyone involved knows their role, and expectations are clear from the start.

Step 4: Developing a Shared Plan to Move Forward

The last part of Phase 1 is developing a shared plan to guide the next phase. This isn’t a detailed regeneration plan yet, that comes later, but it’s a basic work plan that outlines:

• Key activities and responsibilities for each phase
• A schedule of meetings and engagement steps
• Budget allocations and reporting timelines
• Communication and decision-making protocols

When this is done well, it sets a steady pace for the town’s STR journey. The municipality and community are no longer working in parallel; they’re working together from a single roadmap.

Why This Foundation Matters

Every step in Phase 1 builds something essential: coordination, trust, shared leadership. Without it, later phases struggle, projects stall, participation drops, or decisions lose legitimacy.

But when a town takes the time to get organised, to be honest about its gaps, involve the right people, and set direction together, everything that follows becomes more grounded, more resilient, and more likely to succeed.

💬 Laying the groundwork isn’t the quiet before the action, it’s the start of it.

For More Information

STR Implementing Agent: CITEPLAN (Pty) Ltd | Technical Manager: Istell Orton-Nightingale at istell@citeplan.net or Communication Contact: Eriva Nanyonjo at eriva@citeplan.net
Project Sponsor: Department of Cooperative Governance | Project Manager: Prabin Govender at prabing@cogta.gov.za or Communication Contact: Moferefere Moloi at mofereferem@cogta.gov.za