Strategic Thinking Deficits in Resource Governance: Evidence from Zambia's Mining Sector

In many emerging markets, strategic governance of resource-based sectors remains hindered by gaps between National Policy ambitions and sectoral implementation. Zambia’s Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development (MMMD) illustrates this challenge: its 2022–2026 Strategic Plan lacks full alignment with key priorities in the country’s 8th National Development Plan, on issues including mineral tax reforms, beneficiation, and artisanal mining development. This study investigates how managerial strategic thinking influences planning outcomes amid implementation constraints, with the goal of developing a practical framework to enhance strategic planning in the MMMD and similar institutions in resource-driven emerging economies. Moving beyond reactive, short-term planning to a systemic, long-term strategic approach which embeds strategic thinking is key in transforming mineral wealth into sustainable and inclusive development. Drawing on recent policy documents, industry reports, and academic literature, the article analyses Zambia's strategic initiatives in the MMMDs Strategic Plan. Using an existential phenomenological qualitative design, the study will explore the lived experiences of MMMD planners through key informant interviews and focus groups, employing stratified purposeful sampling. Data will be analyzed through interpretive phenomenological and thematic analysis. The resulting strategic thinking framework will inform more agile, innovation-driven Planning approaches for mining governance in emerging markets. This study establishes a practical framework for strategic thinking that aids resource-dependent emerging economies in shifting from reactive and short-lived planning to more comprehensive and long-term strategies. Essential findings indicate that incorporating strategic thinking into planning activities enhances the connection between national policy goals and sector-specific actions, transforming mineral resources into sustainable and inclusive growth. The framework offers practical recommendations for improving mining governance in emerging economies that face similar challenges in implementation.