According to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the Service Delivery Strategy (SDS) process gives local governments and authorities the opportunity to reach agreement on the delivery of services in an effective and cost-efficient manner to Georgia's citizens. The intent of the Act is:

• To provide a flexible framework for local governments and authorities to agree on service delivery arrangements.
• To minimize any duplication or competition among local governments and authorities providing local services.
• To provide a method of resolving disputes among service providers regarding service delivery, funding equity and land use.

The next update to the Service Delivery Strategy (SDS) is scheduled to begin and will be overseen by the MPC. One of the vital roles of local government is planning and the preparation of plans. The results of each community’s localized planning efforts are summarized in the recently updated Comprehensive Plan.

Local governments in Georgia are required to submit comprehensive plans in accordance with the State's Local Planning Requirements to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for approval and adoption every five years. A critical yet separate component of the Comprehensive Plan is the Service Delivery Strategy (SDS) for Chatham County’s services. The Chatham County – Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) is the agency that is charged with overseeing all of the Comprehensive Plan and SDS efforts for the City of Savannah and Unincorporated Chatham County. The next update to the SDS is scheduled to begin this month and will also be overseen by the MPC.

As noted, the SDS process is governed by the DCA with the intent of requiring local governments take a careful look at the services they provide to identify overlap or gaps in service provision. In addition, the process allows for the development of a rational approach to allocating delivery and funding of these services among the various local governments and authorities in each county.

Without a Service Delivery Strategy verified by DCA, a local government is not eligible to receive any state permits or financial assistance. In addition, any local projects that are not consistent with the strategy will not receive any state permits or financial assistance. The current SDS currently covers the following general areas:

• Utilities
• Transportation
• Public Works
• Health and Welfare
• Leisure Services
• Criminal Justice
• Public Safety
• Other General Services