Decentralization for Democracy, Development and Stabilization:

USAID Staff Guidance

May 3, 2007

Decentralization and Democratic Local Governance (DDLG)

Programming Handbook, USAID (2000)

Why revise?

Update country case materials Enhance conceptual framework Changes in US foreign policy

Fragile/failed states

Development linked to U.S. national security

Millennium Challenge Corporation

Handbook Revision Process

Background/issues papers September 2006 Workshop Task Order to Associates in Rural

Development, December 2006 Complete Draft, June 30,2007 Publication expected October, 2007

Principal Authors

Kent Eaton

Paul Smoke

Tyler Dickovick

Harry Blair

James Wunsch

Joanne Nicoll

UC Santa Cruz

New York University

Washington and Lee

Yale

Creighton

Pittsburgh

Revised Handbook Contents

(Next 8 slides)

Chapter Titles

1. Opportunities and Challenges for DDLG Reform

2. What is Decentralization?

3. Why Decentralize?

4. Assessing the Environment for DDLG Reform

5. Programming Strategies and Actions

6. Monitoring and Evaluation

7. Conclusions

Definition(Chapter 1)

Decentralization is the transfer of power and resources from national governments to subnational governments or to the subnational administrative units of the national government.

Essentials of Decentralization(Chapter 1)

Authority

Autonomy

Accountability

Capacity

Dimensions of Decentralization(Chapter 2)

Political

Fiscal

Administrative

Forms of Decentralization(Chapter 2)

Deconcentration

Delegation

Devolution

Primary Goals of Decentralization(Chapter 3)

Stability

Economic Development

Democracy

Constraints on Decentralization(Chapter 3)

Strength of the Central State Internal Structure of Political Parties Weak Subnational Political Competition Resource Constraints Tradeoffs and Conflicting Goals

Arenas of Diagnosis and Action(Chapters 4 and 5)

National

Subnational

Civil Society

Can we provide reliable guidance concerning decentralization for democracy, development and

stabilization?

We think we can.

If stability is the objective,

Does the state have an effective monopoly on the legitimate use of force?

What is the nature of the export/import political economy?

Is the rule of law effective throughout the national territory?

If democracy is the objective,

Are subnational authoritarian “enclaves” common or rare?

How are candidates for subnational elected offices and national legislative bodies chosen?

How well and widely organized is civil society?

If development is the objective,

What are the capacities of subnational governments/administrations to provide valued local public services?

What is the degree and frequency of subnational inequalities?

Are subnational units subject to a hard budget constraint?

Under adverse circumstances,

Decentralization should take the following sequence:

Administrative

Fiscal

Political Asymmetrical treatment of subnational

units should be considered

Under adverse circumstances,

Do single-purpose subnational units offer advantages over multiple-purpose units?