1,720,989 research outputs found
Decentralisation in Bhutan: Is it born and nurtured in the "right cradle"
Get PDFDifferent countries varying greatly in historical terms and political contexts adopt different incarnations of decentralisation, with not only great diversity in degree but also great disparity in its measurement. There is no single 'decentralisation model' and, it is not a 'one size fits all' panacea to all development ailments
(Sharma, 2005a: 39)
Decentralisation, Participation, Downward Accountability: The case of Indonesia
No full textDecentralisation policy in 1999 has transform Indonesia from one of the most decentralize countries in the world to one of the most decentralized countries in the world. The policy has brought many changes in the structure of governments in making decision and service deliveries. With the autonomy to make policies, the increase of transfer from central and transfer of government personnel to local employee, local actors now enjoy important roles to improve development in their region. However, the policy has not brought significant spaces for citizen to participate in making policy and exercise their control over government official.
Analysing the practice of musrembang as institutional channel for citizen participation, the study finds that citizens are still excluded in decision making and informal process through personal relations and lobbies still dominance to make decision. Unclear legal frameworks of participatory method give incentive to local elites to monopolize decision making.
Decentralisation also has not offer significant mechanism of downward accountability. Citizen participation in periodic elections was not able to increase government accountability and promote good leaders. In fact, elections have triggered corruption. The multiple interpretation of the law right to information, lack of spaces and capacity building to community based organisation contribute to weaken citizen overseeing role to increase local government accountability
How Performance Management is Transforming Local Governments in Rwanda:
No full textThis paper explores how Performance Management is Transforming Local Governments in Rwanda. It analyzes changes in service provision by assessing planning, budgeting, management operations, monitoring and evaluation. It examines the performance contracts signed between the Mayor and the president on behalf of their constituencies. The paper examines the perceptions of citizens towards the management model, their leaders and the services provided by the LGs. It goes further to probe into how citizens assess the services provided to them.
The paper uses Agency theory for analysis. In depth interviews were conducted with fifteen key informants in Bugesera District, Rulindo District, two NGOs, two Ministries and Fifty survey questionnaires in Rweru sector of Bugesera District. Apart from interviews documents were reviewed and findings reveal that Planning and Budgeting became more participatory thus bringing many actors on board. Positive attitudes among citizens have been recorded, participation in community work, prompt paying of taxes and other contributions thus more Local revenues. LGs have become responsive to Local needs
Does Local Knowledge Count in NGO-driven Community Development Processes? The case of participatory approaches in water projects in Kitui District, Kenya
Get PDFThe last two decades have witnessed a proliferation and a continued professionalization of NGOs in not only Kitui district but the so called developing countries. These NGOs have been critical in facilitating local communities build capacity, reduce inequalities and alleviate poverty (Esman and Upholf 1984, Fowler 2000, Thomas and Allen 2000). This has been enabled by embracing participatory approaches which recognize that the poor know better their socio-economic situations and are no longer passive in development processes (Berner and Phillips 2005, Long 2001). Generally there is no NGO in the 21st century which does not profess to utilize bottom-up approaches which recognize the importance of local knowledge and community involvement (Stirrat 1996). PRA is one of the consultative approaches employed by NGOs to aid local communities in sharing local knowledge (Chambers 1992). However in reality the rhetoric might be too pronounced than the practice as marginalization of local knowledge is one of the key problems facing contemporary community development. Taking the case of water projects in Kitui District in the marginal easterly province, there are many cases of failed projects which attest to concealed or blatant marginalization of local knowledge as illustrated in the Kanziku brackish water case. In a world reeling with scientific imponderables and stereotypes, indigenous perspectives are viewed as inferior to western, external and science based knowledge (Heneriko 2000, Ocholla 2007). This paper analyses how NGOs in Kitui District in the process of facilitating local communities to realize water projects, identify, validate and integrate local knowledge in the development process. It posits to do this by following the processes of participation (consultation and contribution) and community organizing. It looks on how the donor- NGO relationship is structured, how COs relate with communities, and whose voice in the community counts and implications to local knowledge integration. This is supported by primary data collected in the field from FGDs, key informants, COs, and other NGO officers plus my own experience as a CO with one of the NGOs. The data is analyzed and discussed against the concepts of Community, Community Development, Participation, Local Knowledge, Community Management and Empowerment. From the findings it is clear that Kitui communities hold immense local knowledge (environmental knowledge, beliefs and values) and NGOs have recognized its importance and embrace participation and its off-springs (PRA, PLA) to capture local ideas and solutions. However the process is riddled with structural rigidities that emanate from the NGO-donor patron-client relationship hence not flexible enough to permit integration of local knowledge. Further the COs fail to transcend their professional biases and attitudes hence lead to ‘facipulation’ and marginalization of local knowledge. Also communities are not homogenous as sometimes depicted by NGOs and the process is hijacked by the powerful and dominated by men hence the voices of the poor remain unheard. In general the whole process is expert-driven and outsider-driven hence more often than not is structured to serve outsider interests with vague reasons for integrating local knowledge. However all is not lost. In fact NGOs are doing the rights things but they are not doing things right. What is needed is readjustment of methodologies and relaxation of donor conditionalities to make it more conducive and flexible for local knowledge integration. After all external intervention is necessary to alleviate the water shortages and if the community is left to their own devices (Berner and Phillips 2005) they would be worse off
Top down or bottom up? District Development planning in Mudzi District, Zimbabwe
No full textIn this paper an assessment is made on the level of community participation towards the district development planning in the five wards of Mudzi district, in Zimbabwe.
The paper discusses the concept of decentralisation, planning and community participation. Decentralisation is argued to result in the achievement of higher levels of participation in decision making, development plans, and the implementation as well as the maintenance of political stability. Decentralised planning is discussed in the Zimbabwean context, starting with a clear outline of the policy reforms which led to the creation of the grassroot participatory structures.
The paper uses wide coverage of consultations, good leadership qualities, local government attitude towards community participation, women involvement, awareness of the organisational structures, autonomy in decision making and trained community and local government personnel as indicators of effective participatory planning to analysis what is practiced on the ground. The findings of what is practiced on the ground and what is stipulated by the Local Government Acts and policy reforms contributes to the debate that the VIDCOs and WADCOs are promoting Central Government programmes rather than being channels for facilitating bottom up initiatives
Causes and Consequence of Fiscal Imbalance In Nepal: (The Case Study of Three Districts: Mugu, Gorkha and Rupandehi)
Get PDFThis research paper examines the interrelationship between fiscal inequality and fiscal independence in context of Nepalese local self governing system. The key issues regarding the impact of fiscal imbalance on local self governance system are discussed in detail. The study revealed various factors that create the fiscal imbalance such as limited tax authorities, overlapped different types of overheads, capabilities of local government, low political willingness and other geo-political factors. Governmental procedures to overcome financial imbalances are analyzed. This paper looks at the consequence of intergovernmental fiscal transfer with conditional instruction on local self governance system. On the basis of concrete evidence, the study shows that how it helps to minimizing the fiscal gap and increases the local self reliance. It also establishes the important role of local self governance in decentralization process. At the end, the study recommends some policies to policy makers so that the fiscal decentralization process in Nepal would be more fruitful in the days to come
Governance without Government: Water Provision in Lagos, Nigeria
Get PDFThis paper focuses on governance without government in water provision. It analyses the concept of governance by examining the broad array of water provision channels in Lagos, Nigeria. It traces the historical and ideological antecedents, leading to the withdrawal of state from basic services and the subsequent involvement of Non-state Actors (NSAs) in the provision of basic services. The paper, specifically, looks at the role both state and NSAs play in the provision of water, by assessing their role in the water distribution chain. The NSAs providers of water have a substantial share of the market of water provision, 70% while state has 30%. And yet, the state does not create the enabling environment for them to operate as the majority of NSAs are not recognized and regulated by the government. However, the merit good nature of water demands well functioning institutional and regulatory frameworks. The paper argues therefore, that the state has failed in its role as a provider and regulator in the production and delivery of potable water in Lagos. It maintained that for there to be equity, efficiency and effectiveness in water provision that can promote social and economic development, the state must recognize, facilitate and regulate NSAs.
Decentralization and the Dance of Creating Districts: Theory and Practice in Uganda
Get PDFThe practice of creating LG jurisdictions has various reasons to support it and these reasons are economic, political and/or socio-cultural. It is part of the reform policy that promotes local governance. The administrative hierarchy promotes communication between the population, local and CG leaders. Through the LC, political participation and accountability have been enhanced, improved service delivery and creation of employment opportunities. In Uganda, the 1993 Resistance Council, (RC) Statute provided the principle of “non-subordination” to prevent domination of Higher LGs over Lower LGs. Creation of LG jurisdiction has become an unending practice in Uganda since independence. In 1968 there were 17 districts, 1971, they were 19, 1974 they were 37, January 1979, they were 40, may 1979 they were reduced to 22, but in 1980 they were increased to 33. Between 1990 and 1997 11 district LGs were created raising the number from 34 to 45. In 2000, 11 more districts were created bringing the number to 56. In 2005, 22 more districts were created bringing the number to 78 and by 2008; the number of districts had risen to 83. The research was conducted in seven districts with the objective of assessing the reasons, processes, pattern and the challenges that frequent creation of districts pose to CG, LGs and citizens. The study found out that politics more than the economic and/or socio-cultural reasons influenced the creation of districts in Uganda. The cost of running LGs out weigh the intended benefits, and decentralization practices in Uganda goes beyond the available theories of decentralization. There is a lot of patronage and clientalism and this has made decentralization in Uganda to lose its meaning. In a nut shell, the practice of creating LG jurisdictions in Uganda is just like dancing than being a critical policy issue
When Nothing Really Works; The Dilemma of Mobilizing Local Revenues in Ghana: A Comparative Analysis of Local Taxes in the Tamale Metropolis
Get PDFThe paper compares the following five local taxes in the Tamale Metropolitan
Assembly (TaMA): Rates, Lands, Fees and Fines, Licenses and Rent. The case
shows the inefficient manner of local revenue mobilization in TaMA which
however is endowed with broad revenue bases.
The study asserts that the functions in the local tax chain namely: definition
of tax bases, tax base valuation, tax assessment, tax collection, tax enforcement,
tax appeal and taxpayer education or services are not been properly
conducted. The system is characterised by unprofessionalism and the use of
discretion of tax administrators without following established standards. Hence
the telling negative effect on utilizing the broad revenue bases. This study revealed
that the revenue assignment policy of LGs in Ghana and administrative
or managerial choices are the difficulties that influence local taxation negatively.
It has been confirmed that the taxes in the metropolis are potentially viable
and buoyant capable of meeting the cost of some local needs if properly
harnessed. This gives credence to the much held opinion that metropolises
unlike small districts have potentially viable taxes but that the problem has
been largely with the management of these taxes. The study also confirms rates
as the most viable local tax followed by fees and fines, licenses, lands and finally
rent. The position of land related taxes is because of the domain of responsibility
of taxation which in this case is in the office of stool lands and not
TaMA.
Finally, the study brings to the fore how other constraints influence efforts
of TaMA in local revenue mobilization. These factors include CG regulations,
expenditure assignments of LG, CG transfers and the cultural and ethnic problems
in the area; the others are corruption and political patronage, inadequate
capacity and logistical constraints and poor financial management expertise; the
rest are transparency and accountability and poor monitoring and evaluation of
local revenue mobilization strategies
Corporate Social Responsibility: The case of Mobile Telephone Service Providers in Uganda
No full textThe economy of Uganda has increasingly been taken over by the private sector. In turn the private sector is expected to fulfil the corporate social responsibilities to the stakeholders. In a bid to understand whether companies do fulfil their CSR, the research was carrying out in the MTS companies. The research used the CSR pyramid produced by that was designed by Visser (2005) to explore economic, philanthropic, legal and ethical responsibilities. The methodology that was employed during the study was through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The analytical framework focussed on four stakeholder categories which included government, employees, community and customers or clients. The MTS companies in questions are the three dominant ones; Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN), ZAIN and Uganda Telecommunications Limited (UTL).
After analysing both the findings and the literature, this paper points out some areas where MTS companies have done well in fulfilling CSR agenda, notably in philanthropy and also in abiding to legal regulations but also reveals that some companies do not fulfil their economic responsibilities owed to government
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