The Local Government Sector Education & Training Authority (LGSETA) in its execution of research, it is guided by the National Skills Development Strategy III (NSDS III) and one of its objectives is to establish a credible institutional mechanism for skills planning. A credible skills planning should be underpinned by a responsive sectoral research that should identify critical areas on skills development needs. Local Government is at the coal-face of service delivery, therefore it is pivotal that skills gaps are addressed through an informed sector skills planning that talks to the skills needs in the sector. Research is critical in the realisation of the prioritised skills development areas and also assist the institution to respond to the skills development challenges in the local government sector. In the context of the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority, a research agenda embeds on the sector’s strategic focus areas which are informed by the Municipal Systems Act of 2000. The strategic focus areas are comprised of the following:
 Infrastructure and Service Delivery,
 Community Participation and Planning,
 Management and Leadership,
 Recognition of Prior Learning,
 Workplace Training Systems,
 Adult Education and Training;
 Financial Viability
The above focus areas are complemented by the key municipal performance areas which are: Good governance and deepening of democracy, municipal transformation and institutional development, municipal financial viability and management, basic service delivery and infrastructure development as well as sustainable local economic development. The Local Government SETA’s research is also informed by the national priorities of the government and international trends. The LGSETA’s research outputs contribute to the development of responsive qualifications and policy development which are vital in changing the skills development landscape in the local government sector. Below are the research projects conducted by the LGSETA under the NSDS III: