The lack of technical capacity constitutes a major hurdle, perpetuated by the loss of municipal staff and information eveiy three years following the election cycle. Although state planning officials provide training to new municipal staff on the process for obtaining funds to develop plans, three years offer a short time span for municipal staff to apply for federal funding and conduct the update. Even when municipal plans are eventually updated, their implementation remains a key challenge. A major obstacle to adequate spatial planning in some countries is the lack of an updated national cadastre. Solving this gridlock requires critical action from the central government, and in this regard, the example of recent progress achieved in Greece in terms of legal framework and financial investment is promising (Box 2.8).