Where are the Tactical Plans?

Midjourney Prompt: Yoda and Napoleon playing chess, horses and battle field in the background --ar 7:4

Rethinking Local Government Planning in the RMA Sector

I’ve spent 30 years in the world of local government planning, working within the RMA system. Not only navigating policies, plans, and strategies but developing them as well. Over the years, I have been partially responsible for the abundance of strategies, policy statements and plans that pervade the RMA sector. There are frameworks for just about everything—district plans, long-term strategies, environmental assessments, national policy statements. But as we look to reform, there’s something missing from the conversation.

Where are the tactics?

We’ve got ambitious strategies and policy statements, detailed plans and standards, but when it comes to how we actually execute these ideas—how we adapt, pivot, and respond to the real-world challenges we face every day—the answer is ad hoc at best. Tactics seem to be invisible - unacknowledged as a formal part of the planning process. Yet, it's how we get that project, policy, or planning framework across the line that is the “make or break” for successful implementation.

Less Chess …

More ‘Space Invaders’ please.

When we think of strategy, our mental picture often conjures up an image of a well-planned game of chess. We sit back, study the board, consider our moves, and plan for an end game. In planning terms, this is where the RMA system tends to live—long-term visions, structured processes, and mapped-out futures.

But planning isn’t a game of chess. It’s more like one of those 1980s video games—where the scene scrolls forward relentlessly, throwing obstacles at you whether you’re ready or not. The background is constantly changing, and you have to react. You’re moving forward, back, up, down, jumping or dodging, but you can’t hit pause to perfect your next move. In the real world, plans might be written on paper, but obstacles don’t stop moving just because we’ve taken the time to strategize.

That’s where tactics come in.

Tactics are about how we respond in real-time to the challenges that inevitably appear—whether it's new regulations, unexpected public opposition, or environmental changes. They’re not just part of the end game; they’re the everyday moves that get us from idea to execution. And in my experience, that is the ‘secret sauce’ for successful planning projects.

‘Feel’ the Tactics …

In most traditional planning models, we see tactics as part of the implementation phase—a step we take after all the big decisions are made. But what if tactics aren’t just a step? What if they’re actually the way we operate at every level, from strategy right down to delivery? After all, it’s not the strategy that makes projects succeed or fail; it’s the way we respond to what happens along the way.

And when I talk about tactics, I don’t just mean responding to environmental shifts or regulatory hurdles—it’s about how we work with people. How we build authentic relationships, how we develop trust, and how we time our actions to make the most of serendipitous moments. In my experience, the human element is critical to tactical planning. Trust and authenticity aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re essential.

In my work on the Kamo Place Race, we used tactical thinking from the outset. We didn’t just create a plan and wait for the community to react—we engaged, tested, and iterated in real-time, using feedback loops and community engagement to guide every move. It wasn’t just about having a strategic vision; it was about the way we adapted at every stage, making quick, tactical decisions that shaped the final outcome. And it was about being present and available to the community, building trust so they felt they were part of the process.

Strategies Are Only Half the Story

The RMA sector is awash with strategies and plans, but without tactics, they often become that aspirational document on a dusty shelf. Strategies lay out the ‘what and the ‘why’, but tactics are the ‘how’. They’re the real-world actions we take when things don’t go to plan (which is most of the time).

Tactics rely on people. You can’t build trust through paperwork. The best tactical plans come from genuine relationships—when you know the right time to have a conversation, when to listen, and when to take action.

Towards a Tactical Culture

In many ways, tactics aren’t just actions - they create a culture in themselves. A culture where adaptability is valued, where real-time decision-making is embraced, and where councils and teams aren’t afraid to pivot when necessary. Historically, civilisations rose and fell as much on their tactics as on their strategies. And yet, in the RMA sector today, we spend so much time crafting perfect plans that we often forget about the tactics we need to make them work.

Tactics also come down to timing—those ‘serendipitous’ moments that you can’t always plan for but need to recognise and seize when they arise. Whether it’s a chance conversation with a key stakeholder, or a window of opportunity where a long-standing issue suddenly seems solvable, tactical thinking is about being ready to act. In local government, these moments happen all the time, but only if you’re paying attention.

RMA Reform: Time To Think About Tactics

As we look at RMA reforms, there’s an opportunity to bring tactical planning to the forefront. We can build frameworks that allow for iteration, encourage quick feedback loops, and keep options open rather than locking councils into rigid processes. The RMA needs to evolve to recognise that plans are never static, and neither is the environment we operate in.

In a world of constant change, tactics are the key to survival—whether in ancient civilisations or modern local government.

The next time we talk about planning, especially in the RMA context, let’s ask ourselves: “Where are the tactics?” Where are the ‘real-time responses’ that help us adapt to unforeseen challenges? Where’s the ‘flexibility’ to change course when necessary?

The future of planning isn’t just about having better strategies and plans—it’s about building a tactical culture that ensures we can adapt, react, and thrive, no matter what obstacles come our way.