http://www.gsdrc.org Academic and policy-relevant publications on governance and international development. en-uk Copyright © 2010 Governance and Social Development Resource Centre Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:00:06 GMT Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:00:06 GMT http://www.gsdrc.org/rss/open george@gsdrc.org george@gsdrc.org http://www.gsdrc.org/images/logos/logo_gsdrc.gif http://www.gsdrc.org 205 90 GSDRC logo Benedicte de la Briere, Laura B. Rawlings Conditional Cash Transfer programmes (CCTs) provide money to poor families, contingent on specific verifiable actions such as children's school attendance or preventative health care. How successful are CCTs in addressing social inclusion and inter-generational poverty? What is their impact on social accountability relationships between beneficiaries, service providers and governments? This summary focuses on the Social Inclusion section in a World Bank paper. While CCTs hold promise, they are not a panacea against social exclusion. They should form part of comprehensive social and economic policy strategies and be applied carefully in different policy contexts. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3641&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3641&source=rss Decentralisation Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Liss Schanke, Siri Lange (eds) How do Local Government Administrations (LGAs) in Tanzania coordinate and cooperate to reach gender-related goals? This study, published by the Chr. Michelsen Institute, identifies good practices in examining how five district councils cooperate with local communities, civil society organisations and the private sector to improve maternal health, and how well different departments within district councils coordinate their work. Structural problems, partly linked to financial issues, impede sustainable cooperation between local government and civil society. Cooperation with the Department for Community Development is central to enhancing participation and including lower local government levels. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3556&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3556&source=rss Decentralisation Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hamish Nixon What role do Community Development Councils (CDCs) play at the community level in Afghanistan? This working paper from the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit presents findings from research on subnational governance in Afghanistan. It finds that CDCs have made a significant contribution to the welfare and representation of community members. It is now important to consider the future of CDCs, their role in achieving improved development outcomes and their position in the local governance system. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3500&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3500&source=rss Decentralisation Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT Charles E McLure, Jorge Martinez-Vazquez How should responsibility for expenditure be assigned among different levels of government? Which revenue sources should be assigned to subnational government? This paper from the World Bank Institute examines the principles and difficulties of expenditure and tax assignment. It argues that fiscal decentralisation requires a clear assignment of functional responsibilities among different levels of government, together with sufficient budgetary autonomy for subnational governments. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3382&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3382&source=rss Decentralisation Sat, 01 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT Zoe Scott There is a vast difference between the purported benefits of decentralisation and its actual effects on service delivery, economic development and social cohesion. This analytical review, published by the Governance and Social Development Resource Centre, discusses the nature, extent and impact of decentralisation in developing countries. Decentralisation cannot be considered the solution to all local service delivery and economic development issues, and should not necessarily be standard policy in all development contexts. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3381&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3381&source=rss Decentralisation Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Anne Evans, with Nick Manning What impact do different dimensions of managerial control have on administrative decentralisation? What lessons can be learned from the paths taken by countries with relatively high levels of administrative decentralisation? This unpublished paper prepared for the World Bank examines staffing and managerial control within the context of decentralisation. Based on case studies of decentralisation in Benin, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, and Uganda it proposes a framework for analysing managerial control. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3380&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3380&source=rss Decentralisation Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 GMT Ian Blore, Nick Devas, Richard Slater How can local governments implement user charges for services that do not exclude or overburden the poor? This chapter from 'Municipalities and Finance: A Sourcebook for Capacity Building' suggests that charging need not impact disproportionately on the poor. Charges can accommodate fluctuating incomes through billing criteria such as prepayment meters and phased payments. It may be helpful to view the poor as good repeat customers who have periodic problems of service purchase. Corruption should be addressed through processes such as organisational culture change which supports self-policing and peer pressure. Local government associations could request more liberal charge regulations and policies from central governments. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3379&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3379&source=rss Decentralisation Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 GMT Ian Blore, Nick Devas, Richard Slater How can municipalities enhance tax revenues? What scope is there for pro-poor reform of local taxation? This chapter from ‘Municipalities and Finance: A Sourcebook for Capacity Building’ uses case studies to address these questions by focusing on property tax and business or service taxes. It is advisable to concentrate on a few innovations at a time within a strategic plan. This requires: continuity in staff capacity; an appreciation of the best political sequencing of reforms; and an economic model that is acceptable to the taxpaying public. The best way of making municipal public finance pro-poor may be to ensure that local taxes do not impinge unnecessarily on the poor, while using tax revenues to extend access to essential services. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3378&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3378&source=rss Decentralisation Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 GMT David Satterthwaite How can municipal governments in low- and middle-income nations to prepare for and adapt to the increasing risks posed by climate change? This paper, published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, indicates that most adaptation to the likely climate change-related dangers over the next few decades fits well within a local development agenda. There needs to be a significant increase in development funding to help local governments adapt to climate change challenges. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3375&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3375&source=rss Decentralisation Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Helene Maria Kyed, Lars Engberg-Pedersen Comprehensive local government reform is unrealistic in fragile states. This paper, published by the Danish Institute for International Studies, recommends using local service delivery as a point of departure for local governance reform. Strengthening local service delivery will slowly build sound local governance practices that can plant the seeds for more comprehensive democratic decentralisation in the future. Ignoring informal non-state authorities can considerably undermine any effort to reform local governance, whereas exclusive reliance on non-state authorities in service delivery can undermine efforts to strengthen state capacity and legitimacy in local arenas. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3374&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3374&source=rss Decentralisation Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT GTZ While decentralisation is often seen as an instrument for conflict transformation, little attention has been paid to whether and when it can mitigate or exacerbate conflict. This paper from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) examines the connections between decentralisation and violent conflicts and consequent implications for decentralisation policy making and implementation. To avoid unintentional escalation of conflict, development cooperation should pay greater attention to decentralisation/conflict interactions and strengthen the involvement of central government and civil society. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3373&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3373&source=rss Decentralisation Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT T Vedeld What are the links between democratic decentralisation and poverty reduction? This paper from the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) finds little connection between democratic decentralisation and poverty reduction in the short-term. It is only under certain conditions – for example when extended participation or accountability mechanisms are adopted – that decentralisation will work to respond to local demand and reduce poverty. Social formation and political culture strongly mediate relationships between political agencies and determine outcomes. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3372&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3372&source=rss Decentralisation Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 GMT Derek W. Brinkerhoff, Ronald W. Johnson How can fragile and post-conflict states stabilise themselves and transition toward socio-economic recovery? This paper was presented at the 2008 International Specialised Conference on 'International Aid and Public Administration'. It argues that developing countries and donors should eschew ambitious idealised visions of good governance in favour of pragmatic approaches aimed at achieving 'good enough governance'. Drawing on evidence from stabilisation efforts in Iraq, it concludes that implementing this new strategy requires looking beyond the centre to the critical role of sub-national levels of government in post-conflict reconstruction. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3366&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3366&source=rss Decentralisation Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Johannes Jütting, Elena Corsi, Albrecht Stockmayer What are the key determinants of pro-poor decentralisation? This briefing note from the OECD's Development Centre discusses theoretical and actual links between decentralisation and poverty and highlights lessons for donors. The implementation of a coherent decentralisation strategy, along with indicators to monitor progress, is a promising tool to improve capacities and institutional quality at the local level. However, the link between decentralisation and poverty reduction is not straightforward and outcomes are significantly influenced by country specificities and process design. Donors should improve policy coherence and coordination and be more aware of the political economy of decentralisation as a change process. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3364&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3364&source=rss Decentralisation Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT Dennis Arroyo, Karen Sirker What can be learned from social accountability initiatives in the Asia and Pacific region? This World Bank report summarises a review of such initiatives. It finds that social accountability tools are not confined to the public expenditure management cycle, and that initiatives that use advocacy and information strategies are more successful than those that do not. While governments sometimes take the lead in promoting accountability, different groups involved in social accountability mechanisms can link together in advocacy chains to hold the state accountable for pro-poor service delivery. Ultimately, government and civil society must collaborate. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3363&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3363&source=rss Decentralisation Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT Israel Jacob Massuanganhe This United Nations Capital Development Fund working paper examines participatory monitoring and evaluation practices at district and local level in Mozambique. Its aim is to test the usefulness of a selected set of qualitative and quantitative indicators in providing insights into local level poverty processes. It finds that such indicators, when collectively designed and appropriately combined, can provide policy-relevant information on wide-ranging issues covering the dynamics of poverty and associated processes at the local level. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3362&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3362&source=rss Decentralisation Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT Learning Initiative to Strengthen Citizen Participation and Local Governance (Logolink) How can citizens become engaged in local budget policies? This guide from Logolink presents practical examples of local social activist engagement and suggests proposals for what can be done in the future. It argues that budgets are a political tool of government and have far-reaching consequences. They should be planned and implemented in ways that are inclusive, that facilitate political debate, transparency and meaningful participation, that ensure efficient implementation and allow governments to be accountable. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3361&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3361&source=rss Decentralisation Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 GMT Amanda Green What are the implications of decentralisation for human resource management? How have governments in East Asia addressed the issue of civil service management in relation to decentralisation? Using case studies, this book chapter from the World Bank examines human resource management in decentralised contexts. It argues that human resource management should be seen as a central component in the design of decentralisation rather than a separate stand-alone process. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3360&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3360&source=rss Decentralisation Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT UNDP How can fiscal decentralisation contribute towards reducing poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)? This primer from the United Nations Development Programme outlines the main principles of fiscal decentralisation and examines the links between fiscal decentralisation and poverty reduction. It argues that a well crafted set of intergovernmental fiscal relations are vital for ensuring that decentralisation can contribute to poverty reduction. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3359&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3359&source=rss Decentralisation Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT United Nations Capital Development Fund How can local development programmes (LDPs) build the capacity of local governments and local organisations in order to improve their performance? This practitioner's guide from the United Nations Capital Development Fund presents lessons and guidelines for local government capacity-building in development programmes. It addresses LDP strategy, financing strategy, local public investment expenditure management, and accountability, communications and information. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3358&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3358&source=rss Decentralisation Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT