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This literature review examines the challenges of prioritisation and alignment in public sector planning and budgeting, with a specific focus on the South African context. It analyzes international case studies from Chile, Malaysia, and Uganda to identify successful mechanisms for linking strategic goals to resource allocation and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems. The report highlights that successful prioritisation is deeply dependent on the socio-political environment, institutional stability, and the balance of power between central and local government. It concludes that South Africa's fragmented institutional structure and factional politics hinder the implementation of aligned planning, suggesting a pragmatic, incremental approach and the potential for genuine participatory governance at the local level.