scholarly journals An Analysis of Poverty at the Local Level

2005 ◽  
Vol 44 (4II) ◽  
pp. 1093-1109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashida Haq
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Participatory Development ◽  
Perceived Needs ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Grass Root

Poverty is a situation of deprivation, failure to fulfill the minimum basic physical and psychological needs of an individual due to unavailability of sufficient economic resources at its disposal. It is associated to insufficient outcomes with respect to nutrition, health and education, to deficient social relations, to insecurity and to low self-esteem and powerlessness. So poverty can be analysed from monetary and non-monetary indicators of well-being. In Pakistan Poverty have manifold expressions, many dimensions and indeed, many root causes. Given such multidimensionality, it is not difficult to see why poverty cannot be reduced or summarily expressed, in terms of a single quantitative or qualitative indicator alone. Similarly, for alleviating poverty, all routes matter, recognising the heterogeneity of the voices and the perspectives of the poor expressed in economic and non-economic terms. Such a multidimensional approach, moreover, brings into forefront the importance of recognising the causal factors of poverty at the local level and addressing area-specific problems based on perceived needs and demands of the poor. An essential pre-requisite of institutionalising the approach, however, is the existence of decentralised and participatory structure of local governance that can introduce participatory development in which citizen at the grass-root are involved in planning, formulating and implementation of programs for themselves. In Pakistan, a local government system has been installed in the form of “Devolution Plan 2000” after the promulgation of Local Government Ordinance 2001 by all Provinces.....................

The Contested Strategies of Local Governance: Community Strategies, Development Plans, and Local Government Modernisation

2006 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 533-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Tewdwr-Jones ◽  
Janice Morphet ◽  
Philip Allmendinger
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Strategic Partnership ◽  
Planning System ◽  
Pull Out ◽  
Community Strategy ◽  
Development Plans ◽  
Community Strategies

The current round of local government modernisation in England, which commenced in 1997, has focused primarily on three main areas—new council constitutions, e-government, and performance. However, a fourth strand of initiatives relates to the power of well-being and the duty to prepare a community strategy, in partnership with a local strategic partnership. Academic commentators and planners, who have been focusing on the proposed UK planning reforms as contained within the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (passed in 2004), have largely ignored the development of this strand. In this paper we explore these aspects of the local government modernisation agenda for planners and pull out some of the key issues for comparison in the ownership, role, and development of the new plans: community strategies and development plans. Opportunities and difficulties of ensuring that new development plans become the spatial expression of community strategies is assessed through an illustration of the relationship between the London Borough of Camden's community strategy and its unitary development plan. Following a review of the content of both documents, wider assessments are drawn out and we conclude by debating the implications of and challenges for a future reformed planning system at the local level.

scholarly journals Impact of the Informal Institutional Forces on the Local Government Elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-70
Author(s):  
Niaz Ahmad ◽  
Abida Bano ◽  
Ashfaq Rehman
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Formal Institutions ◽  
Political Awareness ◽  
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ◽  
Institutional Forces ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
Grass Root Level

Local government is visualised as a tool for promoting political participation, downward accountability, which consequently leads to the establishment of good governance at the grass-root level. In the establishment of the local government system, the main ingredients of good governance, such as participation and downward accountability, reckon almost on the nature of elections. However, societies marked with strong cultural and socially embedded informal institutions, already existed from generations, hinder formal institutions to play its intended role. In Pakistan, some socio-cultural features like gender, ascribed status, and economic background of the individuals influence the entire process of elections adversely. This paper attempts to assess the processes of the local government elections in District Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. It aims to highlight the deterministic role of other informal institutional forces that affect the outcome of local elections. It investigates, how the process of local government elections is influenced in Pakistan and how do people decide whom to vote for in these elections. The study argues that policymakers should work on strengthening the formal institutions of elections through measures such as monitoring by media, referendums, auditing, evaluations, education, and political awareness as alternatives to ensure good governance at the local level in Pakistan.

scholarly journals Local Government: Constitutional Vision and Present Practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-128
Author(s):  
Krishna Man Pradhan
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Power Allocation ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Federal Level ◽  
Allocation System ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Opposition Party ◽  
Present Practice

Is it local government or local level unit of provincial and federal level governments? The constitution is still unclear. The constitution has not any provision of opposition party but it has executive, legislative and judiciary power allocation system of the organs of a government. To explore the vision and practice of local governance in Nepal, the study has been conducted. The methodology consists of analyzing primary and secondary sources. Primary data have been collected through field discussions with the stakeholders. Regarding the local governance various recommendations are presented in conclusion.

scholarly journals The ‘silent pistol’ in Ghana’s local government system: presiding members vs. chief executives

2016 ◽  
pp. 161-180
Author(s):  
Issah Justice Musah-Surugu ◽  
Emmanuel Yeboah-Assiamah
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Potential Conflict ◽  
Chief Executives ◽  
Main Research

Decentralisation and local governance aim at local economic development, but collaboration among key actors at the local level is essential in realising this objective. However, at district assembly level Ghana exhibits problematic conflicts between district chief executives (DCEs), who head the executive committee, and presiding members (PMs) who convene and preside over assembly deliberations, acting as speaker. This study aims to unpack the main causes of such unsavoury conflicts by using 13 case studies from the Ashanti Region. Both primary and secondary data were collected for the study. Primary data was gathered from a selection of 40 key informants drawn from three main groups including DCEs, PMs, and other stakeholders such as regional coordinating council members, assembly members and chiefs. The main research instrument was one-on-one in-depth interviews with participants. The study found deep-seated conflicts between DCEs and PMs, in some cases even transcending these two actors to involve a greater section of actors within the local government administration. The study noted that professional bureaucrats within the local government service are affected when allegations of affiliation are levelled against them. The study also found that the legal status of DCEs and PMs appears to be the main driver of potential conflict, although other context-specific issues were also prevalent.

scholarly journals Maiden Partisan Rural Local Government Elections: Bangladesh Experience

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Mashiur Rahman ◽  
Salma Nasrin
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Electoral System ◽  
Daily Newspapers ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
Grass Root Level ◽  
The Government ◽  
First Time ◽  
Election Commission

A paradigm shift in the political system has been taken in Bangladesh on 12 October, 2015 with the final approval by the Cabinet to hold local polls on partisan basis. The long historical practice of non-partisan local polls has been shifted to first ever partisan poll that brought major challenges for the existing confrontational political parties of Bangladesh. Ruling Bangladesh Awami League considered demonstrating its popularity at grass-root level and controlled all political institution through this election while Bangladesh Nationalist Party had opposed these partisan local government elections as a political trick with an ill motive by the government. For the first time in Independent Bangladesh, 9th Union Parishad[1](UP) election hold on partisan basis at six phases across the country from March to June 2016. The articles tried to explore the experiences of this maiden partisan UP polls and what are the immediate consequences on the local governance as well as electoral system through reviewing seceondary materials specially the Daily Newspapers. Unfortunately massive violence, record deaths and uncontested elected Chairman, election fraughts & irregularities, reluctant role of Election Commission, strong dominant of ruling party over electoral system were common phenomenon in this maiden partisan election.[1] Lowest tier of rural local government in Bangladesh.

scholarly journals Performance Management as an Alternative Tool for Local Governance: Evidence from Ghanaian Local Government Sector

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Abagsonema Abane ◽  
Boon-Anan Phinaitrup
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Performance Culture ◽  
Government Sector ◽  
Improvement Programs ◽  
Secondary Data Sources

The benefit of performance management is to have value for money and make local authorities more responsive to the needs of the grassroots. Therefore, the study addresses the perceived challenges which have been taken-for-granted in institutionalising performance culture at the local level in the context of sub-Sharan Africa. The purpose of this research is to investigate the progress and challenges affecting the institutionalisation of performance management in local government authorities to understand how these impediments impacts on performance culture in local governance. Using two major secondary data sources from Local Government Service, the study analyzes the contents of four key performance areas and the performance rating of local government authorities in Ghana . The study finds evidence to support that performance management may be an alternative tool to enhance the performance of local authorities. However , insufficient resource allocation, the absence of performance improvement programs and involvement of employees remains a challenge.

scholarly journals Governance of disaster risk reduction in Cameroon: The need to empower local government

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry N. Bang
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Disaster Risk Reduction ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Reduction Strategies ◽  
Risk Reduction Strategies ◽  
The Impact

The impact of natural hazards and/or disasters in Cameroon continues to hit local communities hardest, but local government lacks the ability to manage disaster risks adequately. This is partly due to the fact that the necessity to mainstream disaster risk reduction into local governance and development practices is not yet an underlying principle of Cameroon’s disaster management framework. Using empirical and secondary data, this paper analyses the governance of disaster risks in Cameroon with particular focus on the challenges local government faces in implementing disaster risk reduction strategies. The hypothesis is that the governance of disaster risks is too centralised at the national level, with huge implications for the effective governance of disaster risks at the local level. Although Cameroon has reinvigorated efforts to address growing disaster risks in a proactive way, it is argued that the practical actions are more reactive than proactive in nature. The overall aim is to explore the challenges and opportunities that local government has in the governance of disaster risks. Based on the findings from this research, policy recommendations are suggested on ways to mainstream disaster risk reduction strategies into local governance, and advance understanding and practice in the local governance of disaster risks in the country.

scholarly journals Local Government Response to COVID-19: Revitalizing Local Democracy in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 701-712
Author(s):  
A.N.M. Zakir Hossain
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Local Democracy ◽  
Google Docs

The study aims to identify the role of local government and its transformation in response to the COVID-19. It also shows how local governments extended the scope of accountability and transparency to strengthen democracy. The study followed the social survey method and collected data online through Google Docs form. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics to generate expected results and test the hypothesis by the Spearman correlation coefficient. The study found local governments were positive during COVID-19 to provide services and offered more public engagement in policy formulation, thus more democratic. The health sector has shown the highest priority, with food and environmental services. Inefficient management capacity of leaders and apathy in public engagement hamper resource mobilization at the local level. During COVID-19, ICT intervention and innovation for digital transformation in local governance increased accountability and transparency through easy and effective participation of mass people to strengthen local democracy to respond effectively against COVID-19.

scholarly journals Well-being at the Local Level

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Grimes
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Policy Studies ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Local Decision ◽  
Local Decision Making

The Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, in partnership with Victoria University of Wellington’s Health and Wellbeing distinctiveness theme steering group, hosted a symposium on ‘The Four Wellbeings for Local Government’ on 26 February 2019. The symposium heard brief presentations from eight invitees from local government, central government, the private sector and NGOs: Justin Lester, Lyn Patterson, Karen Thomas, Peter McKinlay, Wayne Mulligan, Meg Williams, Danielle Shanahan and Suzy Morrissey. Inspired by these addresses and by the ensuing discussion, this article considers what the reintroduction of the ‘four well-beings’ into the Local Government Act might mean for local decision making.

scholarly journals Local Governance in Nepal: A Study of Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality, Kaski

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 31-38
Author(s):  
Girdhari Dahal
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Financial Problems ◽  
Rural Municipality ◽  
Governance Practices ◽  
The Way

The election of the local government was held in 2017 after 20 years and paved the way of practicing local governance. This paper aims to study governance practices in Machhapuchhre rural municipality and analyze its key performances. It is based on the sources of primary and secondary data. The municipality has formulated 15 acts, 4 regulations, 27 codes of conducts, 2 directives during these three years of democratic exercise at local level. This municipality also developed various infrastructures including provision of teaching in Magar language as mother tongue in a primary school.  Despite these, the municipality is facing shortage of human and financial problems. 

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