scholarly journals Decentralised Monitoring in Emerging Local Governments: An Analysis of Benefits and Constraining Factors in the Lawra Municipality, Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-94
Author(s):  
Bernard Afiik Akanpabadai Akanbang ◽  
Cosmas Bekyieriya
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Deviant Behaviour ◽  
Development Interventions ◽  
Building Monitoring ◽  
Key Informant ◽  
Development Effectiveness

This paper contributes to the empirical literature on the benefits and constraining factors of monitoring in decentralised governments in emerging democratic governments. Decentralised monitoring has theoretically been recognised as providing comprehensive data for decentralised planning, quality service delivery, enhancing accountability, and assessing development interventions’ effectiveness at the local level. However, empirical evidence on its effectiveness in decentralised governance is still evolving. A case study design encompassing the conduct of 12 key informant interviews was used for the study. Findings show that monitoring supports early identification of problems for their quick resolution; enables shared learning; gives voice to community level stakeholders; checks the deviant behaviour of service providers and enhances efficiency in resource use. Inadequate staffing; scrawny knowledge and skills; derisory logistics; noncompliance to budget and calendar for monitoring and  uncoordinated arrangements in project implementation constrained decentralised monitoring effectiveness. The evidence gathered support thetheoretical arguments for decentralised monitoring and adds to the list of constraining issues in the organisational, human resource and policy factors. The study recommends effervescent advocacy for building monitoring capacity at district level and nurturing political leadership as champions for monitoring in order to get hold of development effectiveness at the local level of governance. Keywords: Decentralised Governments, Monitoring, Decentralised Monitoring, Benefits,Constraints

scholarly journals Analisis Keberlanjutan Inovasi Lokal : Studi Kasus Inovasi e-Health Cimalaka Sehat

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Endah Mustika Ramdani
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Comfort Zone ◽  
Health Innovation ◽  
Health Innovations ◽  
Depth Interviews

Innovation in public services is a demands , both for central and local governments to improve services to the community. In service innovations at the local level, it certainly brings the risk of rejection from people who are not ready to change. This study aims to examine the local innovations in the health sector, Cimalaka Sehat e-health innovation case studies. The method used is descriptive qualitative with a case study at the Innovation of e-health Cimalaka Sehat services as a pioneer of e-health innovations in the Sumedang Regency. The technique of determining informants uses purposive sampling, data collection is done by observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The results showed that in innovation healthy cimalaka e-health has many advantages for the community through changing processes from manual to online as well as increasing features of health services that support the development of health services for puskesmas. However, from several advantages, there are several constraints and problems including the lack of a thorough understanding of the usefulness of innovation, low commitment and consistency of service providers to adapt to available innovations, with indications that the organizers are in a comfort zone that is providing alternative services similar to the innovation e-health (service through WhatsApp), which actually reduces the value of the usefulness of innovation, so that people are reluctant to change to existing service innovations.

scholarly journals Clientelism, Partyarchy and Democratic Backsliding: A Case Study of Local Government Elections in Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-91
Author(s):  
Abu Elias Sarker ◽  
Faraha Nawaz
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Democratic Governance ◽  
The Political ◽  
Institutional Environments ◽  
Effective Role ◽  
Grassroots Level

In a developing country like Bangladesh, the devolved local government system is widely recognized as one of the key institutional forms for the citizen-centric public service delivery system and ensuring democratic governance at the grassroots level. However, the democratic nature of local governments and their effective role in rendering services are contingent upon the political and institutional environments of the country. Competitive electoral process is key to local democratic governance. The purpose of this article is to analyze the implications of contemporary political order and institutional environments for the proper functioning of the Union Parishad (council), the lowest tier of the local government system in Bangladesh. More specifically, this study will reflect on how political clientelism, partyarchy and institutional environments have stymied competitive electoral politics at the local level which may result in democratic backsliding.

Citizen engagement in South Africa: the case Prince Albert

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 232-244
Author(s):  
Vinitha Siebers
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Citizen Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Engagement Process ◽  
South African Constitution

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to gain insight in how South African local governments organize citizen engagement. The new South African constitution provides ways to construct and implement citizen engagement at local level. However, understanding citizen engagement at local level is still a challenge and municipalities search for proper structures and mechanisms to organize citizen engagement efficiently. Design/methodology/approach Interviews with different municipal actors were analyzed using a single case study method. As a primary unit of analysis, a specific project in which citizen engagement is organized was used. In addition, document analysis and a focus group were used to deepen understanding. Findings The findings reveal that citizen engagement is a viable strategy to identify the needs of the community if facilitated by a third party and that learning leadership is important when organizing citizen engagement. Originality/value The value of this research is the exploration of the citizen engagement process. It sheds light on the conditions that play a role when a local government organizes citizen engagement. As local governments search for ways to effectively organize and structure citizen engagement, insight into these conditions is helpful.

scholarly journals Decentralization, legitimacy, and democracy in post-Soviet Central Asia

2021 ◽  
pp. 187936652110685
Author(s):  
David Siegel
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Political System ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Level ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Ordinary People ◽  
Political Decentralization ◽  
Level I ◽  
Soviet Central Asia

During the 1990s, a conventional wisdom emerged, based on literature going back decades, that political decentralization might be among the most effective forces for democratization. If ordinary people could participate in autonomous local governments, democracy would be built from the ground up, ultimately shaping the entire political system. Once decentralization reforms were implemented across the world, however, the results were disappointing. Authoritarianism not only thrived at the local level, it could also undermine democratization at the national level. Thus, local-national transference still held, but sometimes as a poison. In this context, the case of post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan is an anomaly. Here, the relative success of political decentralization—rather than its failure—nevertheless failed to spur democratization at the national level. I argue that this is because decentralization allowed national authorities to appease international donors while they consolidated their own power. Moreover, while decentralization empowered local communities, it did so in ways that personalized local authority and pitted local and national authorities against one another, resulting in intense localism and antagonistic center-local relations that undermined any democratic transference. The case study findings are based on ten months of field research, which includes interviews with local and national officials, ordinary villagers, and representatives of NGOs and international organizations.

Success from Lease-based farming-a case study of Dalit women farmer group from Bhagwanpur Rural Municipality (RM), Siraha, Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-68
Author(s):  
Sagar GC ◽  
Laxman Khatri ◽  
Dilip Kumar Shah ◽  
Jibnath Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Income Policy ◽  
Rural Municipality ◽  
Key Informant ◽  
Dalit Women ◽  
Analysis Of Results ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Key Informant Interview ◽  
The Impact

The case study reflects the impact of leasehold farming promoted on the livelihood of women group in Bhagwanpur RM. The data for the analysis of results of leasehold farming were collected through survey of the individual farmer involved and through key informant interview. The study revealed that people encouraged with the motivation from local government, supporting organizations and visitors of the site has brought measurable positive changes(food security, occupation, education, income, policy etc.) in the lives of the landless people and has set a good example among other local governments for its scaling.

Environment, Process and Policy: A Reconsideration

1969 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1172-1182 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. Clarke
Keyword(s):  
Middle Class ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Political Representation ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
State And Local

In recent years a growing body of research has used multivariate statistical techniques to examine the relationship between aggregate environmental characteristics and the public policies of state and local governments. This research has been concerned primarily with isolating or demonstrating the social, economic, and political correlates of either public policies (e.g., expenditures, revenues and referenda issues) or governmental structures (viz., form of government, size of election districts and type of ballot).One advantage of the aggregate approach, beyond the relative accessibility of data, is that it permits a systematic, comparative study of states or cities. On the local level this comparative approach provides a convenient supplement to the earlier case study approach which was concerned with the political processes and issues of particular cities.A number of hypotheses have been suggested by studies employing either the case study or aggregate approaches. In those observations dealing with government structure, attention is usually directed to the council-manager plan as an example of progressive government. That is, city governments which are reform-oriented are likely to be found in more affluent, better educated, homogeneous, middle-class cities. The notion is that the middle class prefers a more efficient, professional city administration. Conversely, the mayor-council plan is usually associated with older, machine-type politics which allegedly reflects the preferences of the less affluent, less-educated, working class and ethnic minorities who are most concerned about political representation.

scholarly journals Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation into Rural Development Plans in Vietnam—How to Build Resilience at the Interface of Policy and Practice

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1926
Author(s):  
Lucia Halbherr ◽  
Harro Maat ◽  
Tiffany Talsma ◽  
Ronald Hutjes
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Rural Development ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Scenario Planning ◽  
Knowledge Gap ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Capacity Building ◽  
Development Plans

The interconnectedness between climate change and development has generated an increasing interest amongst development organisations to integrate adaptation into government rural development plans in a way that effectively increases resilience at a local level. However, the nature of climate change resilience is widely debated in the literature, and there is a knowledge gap regarding the best way to address adaptation at the interface with development objectives as part of mainstreaming. This paper aims to address this knowledge gap via a case study of a community-based, Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) project in Vietnam. A case study approach was applied with fieldwork at one project site, complemented by semi-structured interviews with government stakeholders, key experts, and project leaders of related projects. The analysis identifies five key factors that enhance rural resilience in a smallholder agricultural context: (i) engaging local governments as partners, (ii) considering broader landscape issues such as markets, (iii) providing farmers with support to facilitate adoption of CSA practices, (iv) fostering community capacity building, and (v) promoting adaptive management and scenario planning to deal with uncertainty. The paper concludes that resilience is multidimensional and not solely in line with any one of the approaches dominant in the literature.

scholarly journals Does the Structure of Aging Services Matter? A Comparative Case Study of California Communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 18-18
Author(s):  
Haley Gallo ◽  
Kelly Marnfeldt ◽  
Adria Navarro ◽  
Kathleen Wilber
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Aging Services ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Levels Of Integration

Abstract As the older adult population grows and Federal funding remains stagnant, coordination of services at the local level becomes more critical. Building on the Federal Administration for Community Living model, California’s Master Plan for Aging creates opportunities for innovative restructuring of the way aging services are delivered through the Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). We conducted a comparative case study of California AAAs (N=5) representing different levels of integration, from standalone departments of aging (Los Angeles City, Riverside County), to partial integration (Los Angeles County), to full integration with aging and disability programs (San Diego County, San Francisco County). We examined the impact of departmental organization and integration on the AAAs’ service delivery for older adults. Interviews with leaders of the AAAs were coded by two researchers using constant comparative analysis to identify themes within and between the AAAs. Emerging themes revealed the role that “structure,” “politics,” “funding,” and “visibility” play in service delivery for AAAs with varying levels of integration. Findings suggest that integrating the AAA with other departments (i.e., Health and Human Services) and programs (e.g., Adult Protective Services, In-Home Supportive Services) improves coordination and allows for greater visibility of the AAA. Key stakeholders in standalone AAAs, however, fear that integration would hinder their visibility and “agility” in service provision. Findings shed light on best practices for locally coordinated aging service delivery during a window of opportunity for California AAAs, yet they can also inform how aging services are provided for local governments nationwide.

scholarly journals The Analysis of Income Statement and Final Balance Sheet in Local Governments: A Case Study for Financial Sustainability

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Giovanna Lucianelli ◽  
Amalia Lucia Fazzari ◽  
Matteo Cavalieri
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Performance Indicator ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Balance Sheet ◽  
Financial Sustainability ◽  
Financial Condition

The global financial crisis represents one of the main reasons for the situation suffered by many European countries both at national and local level. Furthermore, the increased attention given to financial budgeting in the last years highlights the importance for public administrations to learn more about how to measure financial sustainability, how to implement strategies to avoid distress, and how to represent the expected results of these strategies. We argue that a local government shows good financial conditions when it can provide public services without damaging its ability to face future obligations (GASB, 1987). On the contrary, local governments in poor financial health are unable to deal with their financial obligations and provide public services. Often, in this case, the quality or quantity of these services turns out to be damaged (Raphael, Renwick, Brown, & Rootman, 2010). It is essential to say that the level of financial condition cannot be easily represented since it cannot be readily measured by a single performance indicator, but rather it is determined by different measures directly observable. We propose an explanatory case study to analyze the first results obtained through a plan devised to restore a good financial condition through a process of spending review in the municipality of Rome, one of the most important local governments. More specifically, we have analyzed the income statements and the final balance sheets for the years 2013-2017. We further argue that our case study represents an inspiring strategy for financial sustainability thanks to an ad hoc legislation especially devised to overcome the crisis. Our case study also reveals all critical issues emerged during the analysis of the final data collected in the official documents drafted with accrual accounting across the five years.

The Nexus of State and Local Capacity in Vertical Policy Diffusion

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junghack Kim ◽  
Bruce D. McDonald ◽  
Jooho Lee
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Policy Diffusion ◽  
Institutional Autonomy ◽  
Vertical Diffusion ◽  
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ◽  
Accounting Principles ◽  
State And Local

This article examines the vertical diffusion of a policy between a state and its local governments. Although policy diffusion typically relies upon multiple mechanisms, diffusion between a state and its local governments relies primarily on coercion. Using a case study of state-mandated adherence to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), we show that the coercion mechanism is dependent upon the capacity of the state and local governments to adopt and implement a policy, as well as the discretion available to a local government. Utilizing data from all 50 states as of 2008, our findings show that the vertical diffusion of a policy is reliant on a state’s fiscal capacity and the personnel capacity of the local government. We also found that strong institutional autonomy at the local level leads a state to adopt a GAAP mandate.

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