Jaime Arturo Zavala González, Keyla Carolina Herrera Puya
Public management in rural parish governments faces limitations associated with weak articulation between territorial planning and operational execution, generating gaps between strategic planning instruments and the effective implementation of territorial projects. In this context, the objective of the study was to analyze the strategic articulation between territorial planning and operational execution in rural parish governments. The research was developed under a quantitative explanatory approach with an advanced correlational scope through a non-experimental cross sectional analytical design. Information was collected through documentary analysis of territorial development plans, institutional reports and public management records related to local strategic planning. Data processing was carried out using multivariate statistical techniques including multiple linear regression, structural equation modeling, confirmatory factor analysis, canonical correlation analysis and cluster analysis. The results showed that the coherence of territorial planning presents the highest explanatory weight on operational execution (β = 0.46), followed by institutional operational programming (β = 0.39) and administrative coordination (β = 0.31), with a model determination coefficient of R² = 0.62. The structural model also showed adequate goodness of fit indices (CFI = 0.94; TLI = 0.92; RMSEA = 0.048), while cluster analysis identified three differentiated institutional typologies according to the level of articulation between planning and execution. These findings indicate that the effectiveness of territorial governance depends on the integration between strategic planning, administrative capacities and institutional coordination mechanisms.