Strategic Planning and Performance Measurement in Local Government Administration: Evidence from Kaduna North Local Government Area

This study investigates the application of strategic planning and performance measurement systems within local government administration in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State, North West Nigeria. Effective governance at the local level requires structured planning frameworks that translate council mandates into measurable objectives, yet strategic planning in most Nigerian local government areas remains informal, undocumented, and disconnected from actual resource allocation. Using a professional applied research design, data is gathered from 100 respondents including local government department heads, planning officers, civil society monitoring agents, and State Ministry of Local Government officials through structured questionnaires and document reviews. The Balanced Scorecard Approach and the New Public Management Framework provide the theoretical grounding for the study. Secondary data includes Kaduna State Annual Development Reports, National Planning Commission guidelines for sub-national governments, and recent academic literature on performance management in public administration. Descriptive statistics and content analysis are applied. Findings are expected to reveal that councils with documented strategic plans tied to performance targets deliver services more efficiently and demonstrate higher citizen satisfaction scores. The study proposes a practical strategic planning template adaptable for local government councils in Kaduna State, along with quarterly performance review mechanisms, key performance indicator dashboards for department heads, and integration of community-defined outcomes into the planning cycle. Keywords: Strategic planning, performance measurement, local government, Kaduna North, public administration.