Likewise, oyugi 2000 reveals that for the last fifty years or so, there was an impression that decentralization is a prerequisite for good governance. Decentralisation, local governance and development. Comparatively few studies investigate decentralization s effects on the quality of governance. Decentralization and local governance in developing countries. Good water governance is therefore a key condition of success to ensure everyones wellbeing, contribute to economic development and keep the planet blue, but also to foster peace and stability. From government decentralization to decentralized governance g. Decentralisation is known to cement these societystate. Governance is not just about decentralisation, it is a broad milieu of how the state and society relate to ensure respect for human rights, participation and voice, effective and efficient administration. Indonesia began a process of rapid government decentralization in 1999 from a formerly strong centralized government structure.
Although there is no consensus on the good or vice of decentralization, both approaches assume an increase of subnational officials power as the intervening variable between decentralization and either good or bad outcomes. Decentralization, in its broadest sense, thus becomes a central point of the new approach. Jeanpaul faguet, who has written about decentralization in bolivia and colombia, wrote the editorial article called decentralization and governance. Analyzing good governance and decentralization in developing. For political aspects, see key sheet 12 on decentralisation and political accountability. Decentralisation and good governance in rwanda the challenge guided by the vision 2020 and the economic development and poverty reduction strategy edprs ii, 202018, the rwandan government has started the third phase of its comprehensive and ambitious decentralisation reform. The above quote drawn from a recent undp document underscores the need to develop a. Department of political science and public administration, makerere university. Types of decentralisation in this paper, we shall be concerned mainly with forms of decentralisation other than federalism. Decentralised governance is not a panacea or a quick fix. Promoting good local governance through social funds and decentralization andrew parker rodrigo serrano september 2000 a study jointly funded by the world banks thematic groups on decentralization, municipal. African charter on the values and principles of decentralisation, local governance and local development en african charter on the values and principles of decentralisation, local governance and local.
Various legal frameworks in ghana underpinning decentralization and local governance were utilized to extrapolate challenges of central government fiscal. Decentralization, or decentralizing governance, refers to the restructuring or reorganization of authority so that there is a system of coresponsibility between institutions of governance at the central, regional and local levels according to the principle of subsidiarity. It argues that in a context where institutional capacity is weak, democratic institutions are fragile and resources are scarce, caution is needed. Strengthening local governance and making it more responsive, transparent and democratic through various decentralization and devolution. Decentralization and local governance the decentralization now a worldwide phenomenon. Agenda 2063 is the blueprint and master plan for transforming africa into the global powerhouse of the future. Decentralisation and conflict management in multicultural societies 1.
An analytical framework for assessing decentralized local. Decentralisation and good governance work sessions 6 and 18 1. Although broadly recognized as a process filled with complexity and potential failure, decentralisation is widely acclaimed as a key component of good governance and development. Decentralization and governance participatory local democracy. Decentralization was designed to bring a measure of autonomy to indonesias many culturally diverse regions. Furthermore, the study noted that the delivery of basic services such as. The report identifies 10 guidelines for making decentralisation work and allowing it to be conducive to regional development. Decentralization and governance initiative for policy dialogue. The decentralization policy the policy was approved in 2001 as a mechanism to achieve good governance principles through improved participation, promotion of transparency and accountability, and setting up responsive decentralized structures, enhance local economic development through. It is therefore critical that policymakers, scholars, practitioners and. Overview of the debate over the last few years the debate on decentralisation has focused on. Decentralisation is believed to be the tool for promoting good local governance through increased participation in development planning and promotion of transparency and accountability. The least developed countries, in may 2000, committed themselves to promoting good governance at national and international levels 1 noting that success in meeting the objectives of development and poverty eradication depends, inter alia, on good governance within each country. Decentralization and governance lse research online.
Below, i present five arguments about how decentralization in a specific conception might affect the quality of government. Meanwhile, good governance is crucial for successful development by provi. The concept or principle is found in several constitutions around the world see, for example, the tenth amendment to the united states constitution and the maastricht treaty of 1993. Decentralization is the means to allow for the participation of people and local governments morell. Strong local government and decentralization are essential to this paradigm most countries around the world are therefore presently engaged in some initiative towards decentralizing the state and enhancing local government. Promoting good local governance through social funds and. In other cases, decentralised structures turn out to be inadequate. Good governance also depends on appropriate institutions. Pdf analyzing good governance and decentralization in. Decentralisation is a very general term, conventionally. Decentralization is a process of transferring power to popularly elected local governments. An analysis of how decentralisation contributes to good governance holistically and in africa, with particular emphasis on its. In some cases centralised governance structures are inefficient. Michael ferendinos term paper politics international politics region.
Mr daniel popescu, head of the good governance department of the council of europe, welcomed armenias renewed commitment to finalising the decentralisation reform. Decentralization and governance jeanpaul faguet london school of economics and political science, uk summary. Political decentralization aims to give citizens or their elected representatives more power in public decisionmaking. Decentralisation and local governance in the lilongwe. Decentralized governance for democracy, peace, development. It will be argued that the agenda of decentralization promoted under the rubric of good governance essentially reflects.
Good governance and decentralization arguments supporting the traditional. Educational decentralization and school governance in. The decentralization literature promotes the good governance aspects associated with decentralization including local citizen participation, democratic elections and financial and political equity. Political decentralisation aims to give citizens or their elected representatives more power in public decisionmaking. The most important theoretical argument concerning decentralization is that it can make government more accountable and responsive to the governed. Recognising that it is a difficult process, he recalled that decentralisation brings decisionmaking closer to citizens and helps make a state more stable. The key to human developmentfriendly decentralised governance is to ensure that the voices and concerns of the poor, especially women, help guide its design, implementation and monitoring. Empirical work has been inconclusive, in part because different types of decentralization are examined. Even apart from the widely debated issues of subsidiarity and devolution in. Decentralisation and local governance theory and the practice in botswana article pdf available in development southern africa 174.
It argues that the question should not be whether decentralisation is good or bad. Decentralization or decentralisation see spelling differences is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those regarding planning and decision making, are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group. The above quote drawn from a recent undp document underscores the need to develop a better understanding of the concept. Decentralization reform refers to transforming the local institutional infrastructure for natural resource management on which local forest management is based ribot. Decentralisation, local governance and development aspects of development doctor akampurira abraham script politics international politics topic. Fiscal decentralization for good governance and effective service. Corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, inefficient and corrupt law enforcement agencies undermine the capacity of institutions to facilitate good governance for sustainable development. Introduction sdc has been implementing projects in support to decentralisation and local governance for about 15 years. This policy enthusiasm has inspired a huge wave of research seeking to identify the effects of decentralization on a range of policyrelevant outcomes, as well as attempts to understand why. Educational decentralization and school governance in south africa.
Existing arguments about decentralization and governance relate to different types of decentralization, and it is quite possible that some types im prove governance while others impair it. For example, densely populated countries require more layers of governance than sparsely populated countries. Several conditions must be met before the full benefits of decentralization can be reaped. Decentralization of governance and development pranab bardhan a ll around the world in matters of governance, decentralization is the rage. Decentralisation is a very general term, conventionally used to describe the extent to which the political, administrative or fiscal powers of a central government have been shared or distributed, amongst territorially defined subnational agencies or authorities. Making decentralisation work a handbook for policy. It is the strategic framework for delivering on africas goal for inclusive and sustainable development and is a concrete manifestation of the panafrican drive for unity, selfdetermination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity pursued under panafricanism and african.
One of the main benefits of decentralization, as argued by its proponents, is that. In fact good governance was the goal of all freedom struggles whether it was against monarchical, dictatorial or colonial regimes because it was felt that these regimes acted against the rights of people and were unresponsive to peoples. Transferring power means providing local governments with greater political authority e. Political, administrative, fiscal and market decentralization can also appear in different forms and combinations across countries, within countries and even within sectors. Achieving good governance may require an analysis and reform of the institutions underpinning a countrys political, cultural, and bureaucratic framework. German federal ministry for economic cooperation and development bmz.
Good governance, decentralisation democratisation and civil society linkages 4. St atistical tests, using newly collected data on up to 154 countries, suggest that. An analysis of how decentralisation contributes to good. Structure of the new local government system the new local government system will be made up of district assemblies. The case of indonesia keith green indonesia began a process of rapid government decentralization in 1999 from a formerly strong centralized government structure. Meaningful decentralization of state power, manifested in the form of strong systems of local governance, is now recognized as key prerequisites for facilitating sustainable development and promoting good governance. From government decentralization to decentralized governance. Decentralization and governance initiative for policy. Decentralization, devolution and local governance in nepal. Overview this report begins with a brief conceptual clarification of decentralisation and governance in the context of federalism, and continues with a discussion of the four country cases. Today, around 23 of sdcs country programmes include a support to local governance andor decentralisation. Ethiopia has undergone through different types of local governance in the last half a century.
Pdf decentralisation and local governance theory and the. Its goal is to introduce more participatory forms of governance by giving citizens, or their representatives, more influence in the formulation and implementation of health policies and plans. Intergovernmental relations define the parameters of the authority devolved to local governments to make housing policies. I define five types of decentralization, and outline five arguments about how specific types may affect government quality. With the german government having evaluated its own decentralization projects in countries. Decentralised governance for development dgd encompasses decentralisation, local governance, and. The purpose is to provide a global picture of the more theory and practice of these concepts. State of governance in selected parts of the world 4. Beyond the guidelines, the report proposes concrete tools for policymakers, including detailed sets of recommendations, checklists, pitfalls to avoid and examples of good practices, both in unitary and federal countries. Decentralisation and good governance in africa semantic scholar. Guided by the vision 2020 and the economic development and. African charter on the values and principles of decentralisation, local governance and local development. An analysis of how decentralisation contributes to good governance.
Democracy and development, and ii decentralized governance for. Decentralization of governance in central and eastern europe and the cis, held in prague, the czech republic, in october 1997. A study was therefore commissioned to examine the interaction between social funds and decentralization in bolivia and honduras advanced decentralization, peru and zimbabwe some decentralization, and cambodia, malawi, and zambia little or no decentralization. Concept paper on decentralisation and local governance 2 1. The trend toward greater decentralization of governance activities, now accepted as commonplace in the west, has become a worldwide movement. The conference participants stressed the importance of. While restructuring its national political landscape from a feudal imperialist to military dictatorship and now to revolutionary democracy, the. However, a closer examination of the consequences of decentralization across. Decentralisation and good governance in rwanda commissioned by. Decentralization and democratic local governance are defined by the center as follows.
Democratic development, decentralisation and good governance. Not all forms of decentralization would be useful for resource sustainability of a country. Good local governance, it is believed, would assist to reverse the. Its paramount importance in the context of transition to democracy became the starting point of the deliberations in a regional conference entitled.
The possibilities for good governance depends on institutional structures and the economic resources available for ensuring governance. Concept paper on decentralisation and local governance 6 subsidiarity is, ideally or in principle, one of the features of federalism. Decentralisation and good governance in rwanda giz. Various legal frameworks in ghana underpinning decentralization and local governance were utilized to extrapolate challenges of central government fiscal and financial policies on local government. Decentralisation, local governance and development publish. The views and opinions expressed in this booklet are those of the author and do not necessarily represent. The degree of decentralization largely affects a citys autonomy to make its own housing policies, and for china, india, and brazil. Jul 03, 2014 jeanpaul faguet, who has written about decentralization in bolivia and colombia, wrote the editorial article called decentralization and governance. The contributors to decentralization and local governance in developing countries examine this institutional transformation from comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives, offering detailed case studies of decentralization in eight countries. Africa publish your bachelors or masters thesis, dissertation, term paper or essay. In january 2014, world development dedicated a special issue to the subject of decentralization and its role in development.
Decentralization and governance participatory local. Executive management staff in the district administrations have been trained to qualify their staff to provide services that meet the new quality criteria. This paper provides an analysis of the strategies of the neoliberal economic paradigm operating through good governance and decentralization programs. Decentralization holds a lot of promise, but whether it improves public service delivery depends on the institutional arrangements governing its implementation. Pdf this paper provides an analysis of the strategies of the neoliberal economic paradigm operating through good governance and decentralization. Decentralization and local governance in developing. In india decentralisation of power to village level has not improved the efficiency of rural development. It is assumed that decentralisation offers ample room for better governance even good governance which ultimately is assumed should lead to development. Introduction over the past two decades, efforts to strengthen the role of local governments within the public sector have claimed a growing place in public sector reforms in developing and.
An analysis of how decentralisation contributes to good governance holistically and in africa, with particular emphasis on its impact in the republic of kenya m. The new government introduced decentralisation of devolutionary type. While asia, the focus of this paper, has not been as highly urbanized as most of the rest of the world, the region will exceed. Good summaries of this research can be found in rondinelli, cheema, and nellis 1983, manor 1999, treisman 2007, and faguet 2012. An analytical framework for assessing decentralized local governance and the local public sector jamie boex and serdar yilmaz december 2010 1. The undp role in decentralization and local governance vi foreword undp and the german federal ministry for economic cooperation and development bmz collaborated on a critical assessment of undp support to decentralization and local governance. One of the main benefits of decentralization, as argued by its proponents, is that it makes governments more accountable and responsive to its people. Decentralisation and conflict management in multicultural. In the absence of optimality and magic blueprint to foster good governance in the water sector, mutual exchange. Development politics publish your bachelors or masters thesis, dissertation, term paper or essay. The theoretical mechanisms through which decentralisation promotes good governance are well established in the political economy literature. The utility of particular form of decentralization depends on the consideration of size of the country, population, and other sociopolitical factors undp, 1993. Decentralization system of governance in rwanda fortune.
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