Knowledge

Decentralisation in Togo: The Contribution of ICT-based Participatory Development Approaches to Strengthening Local Governance

Anita Breuer et. al. , German Development Institute (DIE), Discussion Paper No. 6 (2017)

The findings of the current study serve as a contribution to the discussion of the potential of ICT-based participatory development approaches in strengthening local governance in general, as well as the basis for specific recommendations for the further development of the KfW’s ICT-based citizen participation platform in Togo in particular. To this purpose, the study uses social network analysis (SNA) to investigate the state of decentralisation in Togo by analysing the degree of local government discretion and downward accountability.

Decentralisation in Morocco: The Current Reform and its Possible Contribution to Political Liberalisation

Houdret A. and Harnisch A., German Development Institute (DIE), Discussion Paper No. 11 (2017)

In reaction to the political unrest of 2011, the government and King of Morocco promised new laws for decentralisation reform intended to enhance the political participation of the population and make the work of state institutions more efficient and transparent. Six years later however, it is evident that the process of implementation has been delayed significantly. Against the background of international experiences in this field, this discussion paper reveals three bundles of factors that need to improve to make decentralization work and enhance the chances for political liberalization.

Multi-level Governance Reforms: Overview of OECD Country Experiences

I. Chatry et C. Hulbert, OECD (2017)

This report provides an overview of past, recent and current multi-level governance reforms in OECD countries, focussing on their institutional and territorial dimensions. It describes the rationale for different reforms, as well as their characteristics and outcomes. It also focuses on the obstacles faced by governments in reform design and implementation, and on solutions identified to overcome them, as past reforms' successes and failures can provide guidance to policy makers for future multi-level governance reforms. While analyzing reform processes in all OECD countries, this report focuses in particular on Finland, France, Italy, Japan and New Zealand, which have experienced over time several multi-level governance reforms, sometimes with mixed results.

Making Decentralisation Work in Chile: Towards Stronger Municipalities

OECD (2017)

This report examines the multi-level governance framework in Chile. It provides a diagnosis of the strengths and challenges of the Chilean multi-level governance system and includes comparative data and a set of benchmarks to promote the exchange of good practices and foster learning. It offers recommendations on how to further improve the system, with a particular focus on strengthening and modernising municipalities in the context of Chile’s decentralisation reforms.

Successfully promoting decentralisation: the potential of the multi-stakeholder approach

Lisa Groß, German Development Institute (DIE), Briefing Paper 2/2018

Sustainable Development Goal 17 assigns an important role to multi-stakeholder approaches in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Multi-stakeholder approaches aim to involve all stakeholders from politics, civil society and the private sector that are relevant for a reform process. In this publication, the advantages and impacts of a multi-stakeholder approach in decentralisation programmes are discussed. The paper argues that the multi-stakeholder approach supports the effectiveness as well as the sustainability of decentralisation and that the horizontal as well as vertical cooperation in the multi-level system is important when promoting decentralisation.

Decentralization and redistribution: irrigation reform in Pakistan’s Indus basin

World Bank (2018)

This paper examines a governance reform in Pakistan’s vast Indus Basin irrigation system and raises the question whether decentralising the allocation of public resources reduces rent-seeking and improves equity. Using canal discharge measurements across all of Punjab province, the analysis finds that water theft increased on channels taken over by local farmer organisations compared with channels that remained bureaucratically managed, leading to substantial wealth redistribution. The increase in water theft was greater along channels with larger landowners situated upstream. These findings are consistent with a model in which decentralisation accentuates the political power of local elites by shifting the arena in which water rights are contested.

"It is about time to promote policy and institutional coherence for the SDGs"

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), 2018

The SDGs are designed as 'indivisible' and this means that each goal needs the involvement of several or many sectors at several levels. This paper by the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) suggests combining nine different approaches to promote coherence for implementation of the SDGs, and outlines ten recommendations for achieving these goals.

Community-driven development: Does it build social cohesion or infrastructure?

International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), 2018

This paper synthesises evidence on 23 community-driven development programmes. It examines whether programme objectives and design have changed over the decades and how effective community driven development (CDD) has been in improving outcomes. It combines narrative synthesis and meta-analysis to examine the impact of these programmes along

their causal chain.

Devolution after Brexit – Managing the environment, agriculture and fisheries

Institute for Government, 2018

This report by the Institute for Government argues that after Brexit all four governments of the UK – Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Westminster – must go back to the drawing board to redefine their relationships. The authors argue that the devolution arrangements of the late 1990s were designed to function within membership of the EU. On that account, the report makes recommendations for how the four governments can work together now and after Brexit.

The future is decentralised: Block chains, distributed ledgers & the future of sustainable development

UNDP, 2018

Block chains can ease the frictions that prevent a vast array of sustainability, humanitarian, and environmental initiatives from fulfilling their potential.

This white paper explains how this unconventional technology works and how it is already being used to pursue conventional ends. It illustrates how block chains have brought new levels of efficiency and effectiveness to the fields of development aid, supply chain management, renewable energy, economic growth, and several others.