A business environment assessment for the local government should assess the performance of the local government in terms of those aspects of the investment climate that it has control over. 

1. Land and Property

   • Land title

   • Property registration

2. Planning and Development Control

   • Real estate improvements

   • Building plans passed

3. Infrastructure Provision and Maintenance

   • Roads

   • Electricity

   • Water and sewage

   • Garbage collection

4. Business Registration and Licensing

   • Business registration

   • Business licenses

5. Local Taxation and Fiscal System

   • Tax rates and tax collection procedures

6. Health and Safety (including environmental)

   • Support for HIV/AIDS programs

   • Environmental standards

   • Occupational health standards

7. Internal Operations and Procedures

   • Passing of by-laws

   • User friendliness of LGA

   • Who is the right person

8. Investment promotion and marketing

9. Information to the public

10. Corruption

Once the diagnosis is completed then a Local Business Enabling Environment Implementation Program should be developed. Some projects may include:

Bureaucracy Reduction Programs
The amount of permits and approvals that businesses need to obtain, and the time it takes to obtain them, are not only expensive and time consuming, they can also be a disincentive to register into the formal economy or expand.  A good place to start is to review existing regulations and laws, consult with stakeholders and develop a remedial plan.  This will probably include streamlining local government processes and may also include a lobbying program to reduce bureaucracy in other government areas.  A program to minimize the complexity, costs and bureaucracy associated with approval processes will improve the economic strength of an area.