Post on 24-Dec-2015
transcript
Learning Objectives
Participants will:Have an appreciation of key concepts and
principles relating to political decentralisation, local governance and domestic accountability
Be familiar with the functions and services that devolved local governments are typically responsible for
Understand the different ways devolved local government can be held to account
Have identified approaches available to and challenges faced by development partners in promoting domestic accountability in a decentralising context
Reminder !
This session serves as no more than an introduction to a complex topic
Principle of “good fit” rather than “best practice” should be observed
Decentralisation, local governance and domestic accountability is a work in progress
Structure of Session
Presentation in 4 parts:
Part 1: Introduction and warm upPart 2: Defining TermsPart 3: Domestic Accountability in
Decentralized ContextsPart 4: Summing Up
A Quick Warm Up
How many of you know what social services your local municipality / council is responsible for delivering ?
Do you know what % of your municipality / council budget is locally generated rather than provided for by Central Government ?
Besides voting in local elections, how else do you hold your local government to account ?
What is Political Decentralisation?
Also referred to as “Devolution“....going well beyond concept of “deconcentration“
Some defining features:A process through which political powers/ authority
are transferred to sub-national levels of government, enshrined in laws/ constitution
Establishment of a democratically elected local government (i) executive positions eg mayors, (ii) representative positions eg local councillor, (iii) single function eg water board
Granting of autonomy/ discretion to programme and spend own resources, (within framework of national laws, policies, standards)
Political Decentralisation
Existence of bodies separated by law with from
centre
Adapting public institutions to
decentralised context
Organisation downward accountability
A well-developed and inclusive local political process (participation)
Free and fair elections
Devolution of power to local
governments Local autonomy to programme and
spend (own) resources
It is only meaningful in context of:
Fiscal and administrative decentralisation providing discretion over management of financial and human resources
Commitment to democratisation: free & fair elections
Broader state reforms: reconfiguration roles and relationships
In reality, different combinations and levels of political,
administrative and fiscal decentralisation withImplications for:
real level of devolved authorityability to exercise it what it can be held accountable for
Proponents of political decentralisation claim:
Greater responsiveness to local needs and priorities
Greater accountability to local constituentsBetter opportunities for marginalised to have
“voice”Facilitates more active citizenship and
promotes democratic ownershipEnables local inputs into national processesFacilitates horizontal/ area-based planning
Why Political Decentralisation?
Beyond the institution of local government
A multi-actor perspective that emphasises the relationship between local government, civil society and the community at large, as engaged actors
Premised on notions of:Responsive and accountable local governmentcivil society participation in policy processopportunities for local revenue generation and
taxation giving local people a voice in deciding on local
policies, determining the use of resources and ensuring the delivery of public services
What is Local Governance ?
Local Governance
Responsive andaccountable
local governments
Institutional and organisational set-up for
local governance process
Existence and quality of
accountability mechanisms
Mechanisms for exchange of information and dialogue
Improvement local finances
(including citizen’s willingness to pay
taxes
Empowerment civil society (dialogue
partners and ‘watchdog’
Domestic Accountability
Is concerned with the different ways state institutions are held to account by their principals (Citizens and their representatives)
Involves multiple channels typically divided between vertical (answerability of state to citizens) and horizontal (checks and balances between state institutions at all levels) mechanisms
There are many different combinations of institutions and mechanisms to assure domestic accountability in decentralising context
Three underpinning principles:
Transparency: access to information about commitments the state has made and the extent to which these commitments have been honoured
Answerability: obligation of the government, its agencies and public officials to provide information about their decisions and actions and to justify them to the public and institutions tasked with providing oversight
Enforcement: willingness and power of citizens or the institutions that are responsible for accountability to sanction the offending party or remedy the contravening behaviour
Part 2: Domestic Accountability in Decentralised contexts
Social servicesPhysical planning & Infrastructure
Byelaw enforcement
Domestic accountability: For what?Local government can be reasonably held
accountable for:
Basic service delivery (on behalf of CG); Implementation of own projects &programmes
(own revenues):Local economic development:Bye law enforcement, licensing and related
regulatory responsibilities; Preparation of local development plans and
budgets; Resource mobilisation: Physical planning, land servicing and land
allocation: Other…
Constraints
Limited fiscal decentralisationLimited administrative decentralisationPlanning and CoordinationLate disbursements of fundsProcurement delaysPolitical interference and legitimacy
Three Main Lines of Accountability:
Between local and central governmentAcross local government
(administrative and political) Between local government and citizens
Domestic Accountability and the accountability chain
Central Govt
LG execut
council Civil service Civil Service Deconcentrated
Citizens, electorate, users, taxpayers…
Control & downward
accountability
Upwards (political) accountability
Quality of political, legal and fiscal adjustments
Management capacity of accountability mechanisms
Quality of policies, decision making processes, management and governance
Quality of general administration
Quality of provided services
Between Local and Central Government
Involves:- Compliance with standards, rules and
regulations
- Performance monitoring and reporting
Sector service delivery standards Public Financial Management rules
®ulations, including AuditHuman Resources Management rules &
regulationsNational Planning, budgeting, M&E “Parent” ministry (Ministry of Local
Government)
Between Local and Central Government
Local Authorities
Cabinet
Ministries
Parliament
Supreme Auditor
Institutions
And Holding Central Government to Account ? Decentralisation expands lines of
accountabilityLG in a crucial position: held and holding CG
to AccountKind of mutual accountability is established
- What mechanisms are in place to sanction?- What Role of Associations- The Role of District Commissioner, Prefet,
governor- Informal local institutions: Chieftaincy,
community and religious leaders
Across Local Government
Influenced by Executive Model and status of elected officials
Elected Officials hold administration to account
Administrator (chief executive) holding line departments to account;
Mutual Accountability through” joint action”
Local Government Associations
Between Local Government and Citizens
Ballot Box/ local Elections
Transparency through information sharing
Direct participation
Social Accountability and watchdog function
Multi-stakeholder dialogue/monitoring/ consultative bodies
Participation in local planning & budgeting
Between Local Government and Citizens
Local Authoriti
es
NSAs
Media
Political
Parties
Citizens
Traditional
leaders?
Challenges in supporting DA in Decentralised contextContext Matters
Hybrid nature of political systems of developing countries Importance of informal institutions and their impact on
domestic accountability systems
The possible impact of donors’ support: Lines of accountability may change: new bilateral lines with
LG, parallel lines to CG Power relations CG-LG and among LG may change shift of
political balance Strengthening Horizontal but weakening Downward
accountability Excessive upward accountability and skewed towards to
donors-> An analysis of the impact of decentralisation on DA
needs to take account of these informal aspects of governance by looking at the Political economy of a country (Module XX)