Planning for climate resilience growth is increasingly important for the natural resource dependent economy of Tanzania. Central government does not have the knowledge, reach, skills or resources needed to plan for the range of livelihoods within Tanzania; but local governments, if granted the authority and resources, could plan with communities in the flexible, timely and appropriate manner that climate variability demands. Research conducted in three pastoral and agro-pastoral districts in northern Tanzania identified the constraints being faced within formal and customary planning processes. The roles of communities and local governments urgently need to be rethought, bringing their skills together to achieve greater climate resilience.