Strategic narratives and the processes of goal achievement in municipal strategic planning

This study examines how strategic narratives shape strategic planning processes in ways that support the pursuit of municipal goals. Drawing on a longitudinal case study of a French municipality and combining analysis of council deliberations, documentary materials, and interviews, it shows that strategic narratives link planning to implementation. The findings reveal how temporality, positioning, and performative intent interact to generate municipal strategic capacity by sustaining coherence, structuring multi-actor alignment, and mobilizing engagement over time. The study contributes to public management research by integrating a narrative perspective with strategic planning scholarship and showing how strategic narratives become embedded in municipal practices.