DOES THE STRATEGIC PLANNING OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENT RESULT FROM THE MOTIVES INDICATED IN LITERATURE? CONTEMPORARY MOTIVATION OF POLISH SMALL TOWNS’ AUTHORITIES FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract The international literature offers a number of motives which should incline local authorities toward strategic planning of local development; it also emphasizes that they should be strongly motivated to do that. Meanwhile, their actual motivation for such planning can remain low and dominated by motives so far unrecognized in the literature. The article presents research confi rming this assumption, conducted in 2014 among the authorities of Polish small towns. The results reveal that the general motivation for strategic planning of local development among 37.7% of the authorities of Polish small towns is low. It also disclosed that the motive for obtaining means from the EU funds (so far unrecognized in literature) was and is motivating strongly at least 68.6% of these authorities for the discussed planning and, moreover, that it is a short-lived motive. The article indicates that this situation may also refer to other local authorities, not just the Polish ones. It also indicates that it is an unintended effect of the dependence of municipal development projects’ support by the means from the EU funds on including them in the local development strategy. The fi nal part of the article presents recommendations of actions to rectify such an unfavorable situation and for further studies of planning motives followed by local authorities.


Local development
The concept of local development is frequently incorrectly or incompletely understood.Therefore the discussion about it must be preceded by its explanation.The category of local development is characterized by a dual nature and thus has to be perceived as the combination of two approaches.
The fi rst approach to local development can be defi ned as a local one.It consists in perceiving this process as the desirable, positive, quantitative, qualitative and structural transformations of the local socio-territorial composition (the so-called local system), made up of the characteristic economic, spatial and cultural qualities, the social component of which expresses its own needs and the hierarchy of values (Sztando, 2013a, p. 239).Such a composition is identifi ed in many countries with a municipality.The objective of local development, understood in this way, is to improve quality of life of a local community by meeting its needs along with generating useful values for the environment of the local system.Its other characteristics are as follows: strong, consensual reliance on endogenous factors, self-sustainability, long-term functioning, using of plans, subjectivity of the local community in defi ning its directions and in providing it, the absence of supra-local unifi cation and compatibility with the idea of integrated order.Numerous approaches express such a perception of local development.The defi nition by Wojtasiewicz can serve as the example, according to which local development represents complex qualitative transformations covering the particular area in terms of its residents' living standards and the functioning of local economic bodies (Wojtasiewicz, 1990, p. 38).Marques also perceives local development in the analogic, local perspective claiming that local development represents a mobilization process of the local area actors involving innovations and aimed at achieving sustainable development, which harmonizes changes and is focused on increasing the opportunities available for population, economic growth, natural resources protection and social equality (Marques, 2009, p. 144).
The second option for approaching local development is of supra-local nature.Such perception means its conceptualization and identifi cation in the scale of supra-local systems, i.e. regions, countries, unions of countries (e.g.EU), and also in the global scale.In a supra-local perspective it is perceived as the form of structures' transformations of the above-mentioned supra-local systems and also the relationships between these structures and their environment which, to a great extent, result from the local development processes occurring in the local systems made up of them.However, it is not just about the development processes taking place in many local systems and their eff ects to be combined into the supra-local, simple 'sums'.It is primarily about network interactions occurring among the local systems, and also between them and other supra-local entities (e.g.countries, companies, organizations) owing to which the existing and new supra-local, thus regional, national and global development processes were stimulated, protected and intensifi ed.
In simplifi ed terms, local development in a supra-local perspective signifi es the transformation of local development processes into supra-local ones.The objective of local development, understood in this way, is to improve life quality of supra-local societies.The supra-local approach towards local development is present, for example in the fi nal part of the defi nition of Rezsohazy (1988).He claims that local development represents both harmonized and systematic activity carried out in a local community along with the interested parties' participation, the results of which serve meeting the social needs of local population and result in the overall progress (Rezsohazy, 1988, p. 17).The defi nition of Pietrzyk has similar fragments; according to her, local development is about contradicting extreme liberalism and the reconciliation between entrepreneurship and interpersonal solidarity, about solving problems related to market defects and imperfect information, about triggering social initiatives and taking advantage of the entire local potential of development, about the mobilization of local actors around their 'own' development program, and thus achieving synergy eff ects strengthening the general growth dynamics (Pietrzyk, 1997, pp. 89-90).
Due to the subject matt er of this article its further parts will be devoted to local development perceived from the local perspective.

Strategic planning of local development and its motives and motivation indicated in the literature
In decentralized countries local authorities represent an entity creating local development in a local perspective.By taking advantage of the available set of informational, fi nancial, educational, infrastructural, proprietary, diagnostic, as well as administrative compulsory instruments, they stimulate transformations of the local system structures, their mutual relations and their ties with the environment, so that they constitute local development.These activities are classifi ed as one of the manifestations of modern public governance and most often referred to as local development governance.
High complexity represents one of its characteristics, as it refers to numerous social, economic and ecological processes.Moreover, it is performed in a variable, uncertain and frequently unfavorable interior of the local system and its environment.The confl ict of interests represented by the local entities which co-create local processes, i.e. enterprises, NGOs, other public entities and citizens, also remain its complicating factor.Therefore, local authorities from diff erent countries and the cooperating scientists investigate, test and apply diverse systemic approaches off ering the improvement of both eff ectiveness and effi ciency of the discussed activities.Strategic governance is one of them, which with regard to local development creation is referred to as the strategic governance of local development.In simplifi ed terms, it consists in the cyclic process of strategic planning, the implementation of planned actions and fi nally the evaluation of implementation and its eff ects.The subject literature focuses primarily on the fi rst stage, i.e. strategic planning.The collection of international scientifi c publications devoted to this type of planning is abundant (see e.g.: Carr-West, 2010; Caulfi eld and Schultz , 1989; Naschold and Daley, 1999; Gordon, 1993;Junjan, 2015;Nylehn, 1996;Pina, Torres and Yetano, 2011;Poister and Streib, 2005; Rodríguez-Pose and Tijmstra, 2010).It also includes Polish analyses, forecasts and guidelines (see e.g.: Bober, 2006;Domański, 1999;Gawroński, 2010;Kłosowski and Warda, 2001;Kot, 2003;Noworól, 2007;Sekuła, 2003;Swianiewicz, 2011;Wojtasiewicz, 1990).
The common component of the above-mentioned studies is the emphasis placed on the motives behind the discussed planning.These analyses provide reasons that its correct implementation along with the consecutive proper application allows, simplifi es or improves: -the identifi cation of basic problems and development potentials within the local system; -the identifi cation of its key development opportunities and threats; -the conceptualization of optimal att itudes against the above-mentioned determinants; -the choice and focus on the projects most important for local development; -timing and spatial coordination of these projects; -integration of the local community around the vision and detailed concepts of local development; -the establishment of strategic partnerships; and -the evaluation of activities stimulating local development and their improvement.
These studies indicate that the discussed planning, in its fi nal, overall eff ect, has a stimulating function for the local development.Thus, many of these studies emphasize that local authorities should be strongly motivated for the strategic planning of local development.

Reasons, goals and the scope of research
In spite of potential advantages resulting from the strategic planning of local development, two situations were observed in Poland which proclaim that the motivation of some local authorities for such planning remains very low.
The fi rst situation is that local authorities did formally adopt the local development strategy, and this strategy is formally in force, but since the date of its adoption a long period of time passed, even a dozen or so years, during which it became outdated.However, these authorities do not take up any activities to override it or update it or substitute it with a new one; they accept, ignore or remain unaware that the strategy in force is outdated and do not take any advantage of it (see e.g.: Sztando, 2016, p. 30).Such situation can be briefl y defi ned as the 'out-of-date strategy situation'.
The second situation is that these authorities have never formally adopted any strategy, or did adopt it, however, it was later repealed without being replaced, or its legal validity expired.However, these authorities do not take up any activities to prepare and adopt a new strategy.They accept or ignore that the local development strategy is non-existent (see e.g.: Katoła, 2011, p. 57).Such situation can be briefl y defi ned as the 'no strategy situation'.
Moreover, also in Poland, the situations were observed which confi rm that some local authorities, while undertaking the strategic planning of local development, follow other motives than the ones indicated in the literature.One of them is the situation in which such authorities prepare a strategy mainly or exclusively in order to obtain the means from the EU funds for the implementation of diverse local projects.Having a strategy and including such projects in it used to be and still sometimes is the indispensable condition to apply for their fi nancial support or the factor increasing chances to obtain it (see e.g.: Swianiewicz, 2011, p. 51).Such situation can be briefly defi ned as the 'for-EU-funds strategy situation'.In this situation other applications of the strategy usually fade into the background or are completely absent.Therefore, it does happen that 'for-EU-funds strategy situation' is followed by 'out-of-date strategy situation'.After taking advantage of the strategy to obtain the means from the EU funds, it is abandoned and its out-of-date status is allowed (see e.g.: Sztando, 2016, pp.41-42).
The negative eff ect of the investigation of Polish1 and international2 scientifi c repositories conducted by the author (the content of all articles published since 1990 was reviewed, the titles or key words of which referred to local development strategy), allows concluding that the incidence of occurrence of the above-mentioned situations, in the environment of Polish or other local authorities, has neither been studied so far nor used for the identifi cation of motives and the evaluation of motivation of these authorities for the strategic planning of local development.Such studies are, however, necessary.They can provide new knowledge about the actual structure of motives and the power of Polish local authorities' motivation for such planning.It can be used in improving the strategic planning of local development carried out in this country.Apart from practical application, the new knowledge will allow supplementing the lists of motives for strategic planning indicated in the literature and enriching this literature by information about the actual motivation of local authorities for such planning.
Having considered the above-mentioned rationale, the author conducted research of this type.The authorities of Polish small towns were selected as the research objects, since the new knowledge about their motives and motivation for the strategic planning of local development can support the improvement of current diffi cult situation of these towns.Nowadays a large number of Polish small towns are experiencing structural problems and facing either regression or stagnation.It is manifested by the decreasing population, unemployment, decapitalization of residential and factory buildings, decapitalization of technical and social infrastructure, spatial disorder, the migration of enterprises and their capital, growth of crime, alcoholism and other social pathologies, reduction of residents' incomes, and also by other negative phenomena.At the same time, due to their low, own municipal budget revenues, as well as insuffi cient subsidies and grants from the state budget, the local authorities of these towns have not had the means at their disposal which could signifi cantly change the described situation.These issues received a lot of coverage in Polish literature (see e.g.: Bartosiewicz, 2016).As such, two research goals were adopted: -overall assessment of the scale of low motivation phenomenon, presented by today's local authorities of Polish small towns, for the strategic planning of local development, based on the information about the 'out-of-date strategy situation' and 'no strategy situation' occurrence; and -overall assessment of the importance of obtaining means from the EU funds motive (hereinafter referred to as EU funds motive) for such authorities, in the aforementioned planning, based on the information about the past and present 'for-EU-funds strategy situation' occurrence and the occurrence of 'out-of-date strategy situation' after 'for-EU-funds strategy situation'.
Next, the research population was defi ned.Its presentation must be preceded by discussing the small town category, types of Polish municipalities, as well as the functioning of their authorities.
Small town is defi ned as spatially coherent, however, generically diversifi ed relationship of local community and local economy, characterized by the specifi c socio-cultural, spatial, infrastructural and economic features, which distinguish it from rural sett lements and medium-sized towns (Trutkowski and Mandes, 2005, p. 13).Diff erent studies apply various methods to defi ne which towns are included in this class.In the conducted research it was adopted that the number of residents of these towns ranges from 5,000 to 20,000.It was assumed that the lower limit of this range satisfactorily separates the towns characterized by too many rural features, whereas the upper satisfactorily separates medium-sized towns.This assumption was adopted also in other studies (e.g.Kok, 2013, p. 20;Rondinelli, 1990, p. 81).
When it comes to Polish municipalities, three types can be distinguished: -rural municipalities which range from several to several dozen localities none of which is a town; -urban-rural municipalities which are made up of a similar number of localities, however, one of them is a town; and -urban municipalities which cover only one locality and this locality is a town.
The authorities of each Polish municipality, i.e. local authorities, consist of two cooperating bodies -the decision-making body and the executive one.A council represents the decision-making body and consists of several to several dozen members.It takes up the most important decisions regarding the municipality functioning in the form of resolutions, including the approval of local development strategy.The municipal executive body is represented by one person, called mayor in small towns; the executive body prepares drafts of council resolutions, including draft of the strategy, and executes council resolutions using for this purpose both institutions and enterprises owned by a municipality, and also by entering into agreements with independent entities.
Therefore the research population consisted of the authorities of Polish towns (decision-making body and the executive one) representing urban municipalities or urban parts of urban-rural municipalities and meeting the above-mentioned quantitative criterion.The list of research population units was prepared at 31.12.2013 using the Local Data Bank3 of the state Central Statistical Offi ce; the list included 369 authorities of small towns.

Strategic planning documents and resolutions about their adoption as the information sources on 'out-of-date strategy situation' and 'for-EU-funds strategy situation'
The strategic planning documents in force of the municipalities governed by the studied authorities and the resolutions about adopting them were chosen as sources of information about the 'out-of-date strategy situations' and 'for-EU-funds strategy situations'.In the period from 01.05.2014 till 31.05.2014 the total of 365 of such documents were collected (Table 1).Apart from the strategies in force, 19 drafts of local development strategies, in the fi nal creation phase (fi nal form and scheduled for adoption within 1-2 months) were collected.It was assumed that their adoption is so highly probable that they can already be considered as already applicable.
In 31 cases local development plans (LDP) were collected instead of the local development strategies.LDPs appeared in Polish municipalities along with the national Integrated Operational Program of Regional Development 2004-2006 (OPRD).Possessing LDP was the prerequisite for municipalities to apply for investments funding means distributed within the framework of OPRD.It was required that LDP had a defi ned implementation period, included a diagnosis situation of the municipality, development objectives and a system of implementation.Despite OPRD fi nalization the usefulness of LDPs turned out to be much longer.Some local authorities got used to LDPs and started to treat them as useful tools for the strategic governance of local development.Therefore, LDPs were updated and improved, making them similar to the classical strategies of local development.Having taken it all into account, it was adopted that the LDP in force replaces the local development strategy if the strategy in force does not exist or it is older than LDP by at least eight years.The most recent LDPs were collected, i.e. taking into account changes introduced in their initial versions.Later in the article, LDPs and drafts of local development strategies, for simplifi cation purposes, were frequently referred to as local development strategies or, in short, strategies.

The analysis of 'out-of-date/no strategy situations'
In order to determine in which part of small towns authorities the 'out-of-date strategy situation' currently occurs, the method of content analysis was applied.In the fi rst stage of this analysis it was checked in which years the strategies were adopted or their latest update was performed and the obtained data were presented on a graph (Figure 1).It appeared that the signifi cant part of the studied authorities have strategies which were developed or updated relatively long ago, even a dozen or so years before.For example, 46.6% (172 out of 369) of analyzed authorities had strategies the content of which was at least 8 years old, and 24.9% (92 out of 369) -at least 12 years old.
The above data suggested that a large part of the strategies in force represented the outdated ones, because their content ceased to refl ect the existing determinants, social expectations and the foreseeable future of respective towns.The strategic planning of local development represents, however, a long-term planning which primarily covers the processes which are signifi cantly changeable in a long-term perspective and projects possible to carry out in such period only.For this reason many researchers indicate that local development strategy should cover the implementation period from several to a dozen or so years (see e.g.: Poister and Streib, 2005, p. 46; Rodríguez-Pose and Tijmstra, 2010, pp.55-56, 73; Noworól, 2007, pp.109-116).Therefore, concluding about the occurrence of 'out-of-date strategy situation' solely based on the aforementioned information was considered wrong as one cannot exclude that even a dozen or so years old strategies are substantively up-to-date and utilized in local development governance.Taking it into account the information about a strategy 'age' was considered as preliminary one, other evidence confi rming the 'out-of-date strategy situation' occurrence were investigated.The fi rst evidence was considered upholding the strategy for which the implementation period was over.Therefore the second stage of content analysis consisted in checking what implementation periods were defi ned in the strategies.In this way it was revealed that the implementation periods of 20.8% (76 out of 365) strategies were already over (expired before May 2014).It was also found that 71 out of 76 such strategies were adopted before 2007, whereas 5 later (Figure 1).
Strategic tasks, i.e. substantive investment, organizational and other projects remain among the main components of a local development strategy, the implementation of which is supposed to result in achieving strategic goals.Some authorities defi ne strategic tasks only for the fi rst several years of the strategy implementation period; they do not defi ne them for the latt er years, recognizing it as too diffi cult and that it can be done later as a strategy update.However, such update is not always performed.It means that strategies, the implementation period of which has not yet expired, can be outdated in reality because they do not cover any strategic tasks to current implementation.In such strategies all the strategic tasks have already been carried out, or their implementation was abandoned, or they are so delayed that they have to be rethought all over again.
Taking this into account, the third stage of content analysis was conducted, during which it was verifi ed whether the strategies meet the criterion of containing strategic tasks assigned to current implementation, i.e. the implementation in any year of the local authorities' current term of offi ce (December 2010 -November 2014).It was assumed that even if a strategy does not list strategic tasks assigned for implementation in 2014 (current year), but does include such tasks for at last one year of the current term of offi ce, the implementation of these tasks can be delayed and they can be either currently or soon carried out.Local authorities can still be using such strategies.If the strategy did not meet the aforementioned criterion although its implementation period was not yet over, it was considered as the second proof for the occurrence of 'out-of-date strategy situation'.All strategies adopted since 2007 met this criterion, thus they were considered up-to-date.In case of 12 strategies adopted earlier it was not determined, because they did not provide the completion dates of strategic tasks.Given that one cannot exclude that some of these strategic tasks can be either currently or soon carried out, it was adopted that these strategies also meet the above-mentioned criterion.59 strategies adopted before 2007 did not meet this criterion, thus they were considered as confi rming the occurrence of 'out-of-date strategy situation' (Figure 1).
The second and third stage of the content analysis confi rmed suggestions resulting from the fi rst stage and jointly demonstrated that 'out-of-date strategy situation' occurs in at least 36.6%(76 + 59=135 out of 369) of Polish small towns' authorities, whereas in the vast majority of cases it results from an out-of-date status of the strategy adopted before 2007.
As far as the 'no strategy situation' is concerned it was considered that it occurs in four authorities, which represents approximately 1.1% (4 out of 369).In each of these cases no binding resolutions were found regarding either the strategy or LDP adoption.

The analysis of 'for-EU-funds strategy situations' and the subsequent occurrence of 'out-of-date strategy situations'
In order to determine in which part of small town authorities' the 'for-EU-funds strategy situation' occurred in the past, or is currently present, fi rstly the strategy content was searched for information (the fourth stage of content analysis) which explicitly stated that they were adopted primarily or exclusively to meet the prerequisites of calls for municipal applications to obtain means from EU funds (later referred to as evidentiary contents).Some authorities introduced such content into strategy in order to honestly inform what functions it actually performs, and to safeguard themselves against the allegations that it lacks the qualities necessary to carry out other functions.Including such information in the strategy was recognized as the fi rst proof for the occurrence of 'for-EU-funds strategy situation'; such content was found in 10.4% (38 out of 365) strategies.
The majority of local authorities who adopt the strategy mainly or only in order to obtain the means from the EU funds do not, however, announce this fact.They fear allegations that the strategy should primarily play other functions, and they are not able to prepare the kind of strategy which could play these functions.They are also concerned that it can reduce their chances in applying for the means from the EU funds.For this reason it was decided to seek another satisfactorily credible proof for the occurrence of 'for-EU-funds strategy situation'.Simultaneous meeting two criteria by a strategy was considered as such evidence: -including at least one element in the content suggesting that the key condition for strategic tasks implementation and, hence, achieving strategic goals is obtaining EU funds.Such contents (hereinafter referred to as suggesting contents) were considered as: indicating the EU funds as the most important opportunity for development of municipality; indicating the EU funds as the major fi nancing source of strategy implementation; indicating the amounts obtained from the EU funds as the main basis for the assessment of strategy implementation.-adoption (update) in the years of cumulation of calls for municipal applications to obtain means from the EU pre-accession funds, i.e. the years 2000-2001 (hereinafter referred to as the 'calls' cumulation years') or in the years starting the EU programming periods 4 , thus initiating preparations for calls and the actual calls of municipal applications to obtain means from the EU structural funds, i.e. the years 2004-2005, 2007-2008, 2014 5 (hereinafter referred to as the 'calls' initiation years').
The content analysis (fi fth stage) was used again to identify the suggesting contents (Table 2).The results of the fi rst stage of content analysis were used to identify the years of strategies adoption (Figure 1).It turned out that 60 strategies were adopted in the years 2000-2001, of which 55 included the suggesting contents.These years featured the initiation of EU aid in adjusting Poland to the EU principles and increasing economic and social cohesion of Poland with the EU.Somewhat more, i.e. 66 strategies were adopted in the years 2004-2005, and 59 of them included the sought content.These years initiated the fi rst, still incomplete period when Poland was taking advantage of the EU structural funds, however, following the same rules as the ones binding the other member states.The period 2007-2008 featured even more, i.e. 78 strategies, of which 72 included the suggesting contents.These years initiated the fi rst full EU 2007-2013 programming period during which Poland was taking advantage of the EU structural funds.In the course of the fi rst fi ve months of 2014, which opened the subsequent EU 2014-2020 programming period, a total of 29 strategies were adopted or prepared for immediate adoption and all of them included the aforementioned contents.
Thus, it turned out that in the calls' initiation years and in the calls' cumulation years 233 of strategies were adopted or prepared for immediate adoption, whereas 215 of them include contents suggesting that obtaining the means from the EU funds is the key condition for their implementation.Such strategies constituted 58.9% (215 out of 365) of all collected strategies.Secondly, the motive of the EU funds is strongly motivating or motivated at least 68.6% of the studied authorities for the discussed planning, however, it is a shortlived motive.The research has proved that 'for-EU-funds strategy situation' used to occur or currently occurs in at least that part of the analyzed authorities.In the periods of strategies adoption 'waves' more of them were adopted than identifi ed in research, however, some of them were later repealed or replaced with the new ones.The number of such strategies was not possible to determine.The short-lived nature of this motive is confi rmed by the fact that as many as 87.4% of the authorities in which 'out-of-date strategy situation' was identifi ed represented the ones where 'for-EU-funds strategy situation' previously occurred.

Discussion
The research results allow concluding that there is a signifi cant discrepancy (gap) between the guideline presented in the literature, regarding high motivation of all local authorities for the strategic planning of local development, and the strength of this motivation characteristic for major part of the authorities of Polish small towns.Moreover, the obtained results allow stating that the EU funds motive is an important motive of such planning, characteristic for the analyzed authorities, however, absent in the literature specifi cations of such motives.The results also indicate that after the occurrence of the EU funds motive the general motivation of the analyzed authorities for the discussed planning falls and the strategies are not used and becoming out-ofdate.Therefore the research provided new and contradictory evidence to the subject literature knowledge about the motivation and motives for the strategic planning of local development carried out by the authorities of Polish small towns.
The research results also allow predicting future motivation of the studied authorities for the discussed planning.Polish GDP has been continuously increasing since 1992 and the economic and social cohesion of Poland with the most developed EU Member States is also growing.For this reason in the EU 2021-2027 programming period the fi nancial support for Poland will be much lower than before.The EU funds motive will be less important, which reduces, even more, the general motivation of the authorities of Polish small towns for the strategic planning of local development; some of these authorities may totally abandon such planning.
The research results are also important for a larger fi eld of the strategic planning of local development and constitute a warning for the national and EU authorities responsible for the distribution of EU funds.
Firstly, research results indicate that the activities focused on the popularization of such planning can result in counterproductive eff ects.The preconditions for having a strategy (LDP) and including a project in it, which is supposed to be supported by the EU funds, were introduced to promote discussed planning among the local authorities.These preconditions were also introduced to increase the probability that the project is a part of the planned, long-term, multi-dimensional, coordinated activities, also accepted by residents.In the situation of long-term and profound shortage of fi -nancial means available for the local authorities it may result in this motive becoming a dominating one over other motives for the strategic planning of local development.That, indeed, happened in the environment of the studied authorities.They prepare strategies primarily or exclusively to apply for the means from the EU funds and do not intend to use them in any other way, thus after submitt ing an application they allow their continuous out-of-date status.All of this depreciates the idea of strategic planning of local development and reduces interest in its practical, entire application.
Secondly, it can be assumed that low motivation for strategic planning and high, although short-lived, importance of the EU funds motive also refers to other Polish local authorities.It may particularly concern the authorities of rural municipalities which function in similar conditions.It can also be assumed that a similar situation occurs in many local authorities from other European, post-communist countries.Many municipalities in these countries are also characterized by serious socio-economic problems, permanent underfunding and, at the same time, they benefi t from the EU aid, the rules of which are analogical to the ones followed in Poland.This hypothesis is confi rmed by the research covering Romanian local authorities (Hinţea, Profi roiu and Ţiclău, 2015).The signifi cant gap between the theory and practice may thus refer to the much larger number of local authorities than those covered by the described research, and may have an international extent.

Recommendations
In light of the aforementioned fi ndings, recommendations for the activities of public authorities and scientifi c circles should be presented, which in most cases are common.Firstly, it is necessary to diagnose the general motivation and importance of the EU funds motive in the strategic planning of local development carried out by the authorities of other Polish municipalities, and those from other CEE countries.It will allow a comprehensive identifi cation of the scale, structure and spatial scope of the problems identifi ed in this research.This recommendation primarily refers to the municipalities featuring low population numbers and low level of socio-economic development, i.e. the ones in which the EU funds motive can be very strong.It is worth extending this research by the identifi cation of the importance of other motives for such planning, absent in the mainstream literature, however, recently signaled.Among them there are the motive of an executive body re-election, and the motive of vogue for strategic planning (see Sztando, 2013a;Sztando, 2013b).
Secondly, it is indispensable to take up activities in Poland to increase the general motivation of the analyzed authorities for the strategic planning of local development by upgrading the importance of planning motives identifi ed in the subject literature.Such activities should cover continuous proliferation of knowledge among these authorities about practical, feasible benefi ts resulting from strategic planning, other than obtaining means from the EU funds.The theory has to be supported by case studies of these benefi ts' achievement by the municipalities experiencing a similar, diffi cult socio-economic situation.It is also necessary to implement state programs facilitating substantive, long-term, individualized support for small towns' authorities in preparing and implementing their local development strategies.This support should be provided where the local development governance is carried out, i.e. in the seats of these authorities and directly to these authorities.Incidental, standardized support, addressed mainly to mid and low level municipal staff -performed so farwill not result in the desirable eff ect.If the above-mentioned research proves that the discussed problems occur in other Polish and foreign municipalities, they should be covered by analogical activities.
Thirdly, the discussed preconditions for the support of project by the means from the EU funds should be cancelled, i.e. the precondition of having strategy (LDP) by municipality and the precondition of including this project in it.Project should be evaluated only based on the data, and analyses referring directly to it and included in its documentation.The activities indicated in the previous paragraph will be more benefi cial for the promotion of the strategic planning of local development.The listed conditions should also be abandoned there, where their introduction is being considered.Ukraine represents one of such countries.This country initiated its systemic reforms based on Polish self-government system as the reference model.By using Polish experience the Ukrainian authorities can avoid the problem of the EU funds or other aid funds motive domination and increase the general motivation of local authorities for the strategic planning of local development.
The fi nal, fourth recommendation refers to public governance science, and within its framework, the knowledge about local development governance.So far, the lists of motives for the strategic planning of local development presented in the literature included only the desirable motives of such planning.However, these lists should consist of two subgroups of motives: the desirable and the undesirable ones, and the studies covering undesirable motives should be continued.
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014* The number of adopted strategies (including LDPs) and drafts of strategies * till 31.05.2014 172 strategies in force, min.8 years old, including 71 the implementation period of which is over and 59 the implementation period of which has not yet expired, but which do not list strategic tasks to be implemented in the local authorities' current term of office (December 2010 -November 2014) The first years of EU programming periods (2004-2006 for Poland as the EU Member State, 2007-2013, 2014-2020) starting calls for municipal applications for structural funds distributed within the framework of these periods 365 strategies in force (including LDPs) and drafts of strategies ready for immediate adoption 92 strategies in force min.12 years old The years of cumulation of calls for applications to obtain means from the EU pre-accession funds mainly distributed within the framework of ISPA and PHARE II programs

Figure 1 :
Figure 1: The number of local development strategies (including LDPs) of municipalities covering small towns, adopted in the particular years and in force on 31.05.2014 and drafts of such strategies ready on this day for immediate adoption Source: Author's compilation

Table 1 :
Collected strategic planning documents formally adopted or prepared for adoption by the authorities of small towns Author's compilation 315 local development strategies in force in May 2014 constituted the largest part of the collected documents; these were their latest versions, i.e. taking into account all changes -if any were performed.

Table 2 :
Local development strategies (LDPs) covering small towns, adopted in the selected periods and in force on 31.05.2014 and drafts of such strategies ready on this day for immediate adoption