New regulations of European cohesion policy and Polish development policy put emphasis on the territorial dimension of public policies. The transition in management development – from a traditional sectoral approach and a redistribution of financial resources to a policy consisting in stimulation of the competitiveness of territories through the integration of various actors and resources into development activities of so-called functional areas that are not identical with administrative units. The reference point for public policy intervention will then be functional areas characterized by similarity of social, economic and spatial features. The purpose of this publication is to reflect on the organizational aspects of running a modern territorial development policy, involving the use of different entities, operating at all levels and in all sectors of the national economy.