This article discusses how governance processes are developed through national development planning (NDP), drawing on the experiences of Colombian practitioners. A majority of countries of the world use NDP as a key policy tool across the full range of substantive policy areas, however recent research in the fields of public administration and policy have largely ignored the topic. We use data from surveys and focus groups to examine overlapping issues which are entral to these fields, namely: 1) multi-level coordination and intergovernmental relations; 2) communication and collaboration across levels and sectors; and 3) policy design, implementation and evaluation. The article discusses broader lessons for our understanding of core governance concepts and the practice of NDP in other countries, related to the influence of international actors, mechanisms to ensure technical and managerial capacity at the local levels, effective means of participation of civil society organizations and managing information to implement plans effectively.