Centre for Financial
& Management Studies (CeFiMS) - University of London
Individual
Professional Courses – IPC
Decentralisation & Local Governance
[PPM201]
Introduction
In the current era of state reform everybody
seems agreed that decentralisation of government is a good thing - governments
themselves, aid donors and other international agencies, many of the
citizens of various countries, and certainly many academic writers on
good governance, public service reform and development. The case for
decentralisation is argued on both political grounds - as strengthening
democracy, accountability and participation by bringing government 'closer'
to its citizens - and economic grounds, those of enhancing the efficiency
and effectiveness of public service provision. Decentralisation is also
seen by many agencies as being effective in combating poverty. This
course asks why decentralisation is considered a good thing, and assesses
a range of experiences of decentralisation in different kinds of countries
and different parts of the world, to highlight issues and options in
the design, implementation and management of decentralisation at various
levels of government : from federal nation states to rural districts
and even villages. The course’s approach is that governance is a political
process as much as a technical one.
Aims & Objectives
By the end of this Module you will be able
to:
- recognise, distinguish and assess different
types of decentralisation and the theories that support them
- understand the economics of grant distribution
and fiscal federalism
- apply a practical working knowledge
of design issues in decentralisation
- apply criteria for assessing the performance
of decentralised government at different levels
- analyse and assess the claims of different
types of participation in subnational government
- analyse and assess the appropriateness
and effectiveness of different fiscal systems in subnational government
- assess the impact of decentralised policy
and public management on poverty reduction.
Resources
This Course has a rich range of case study
material - both thematically and geographically. The case studies, together
with carefully selected articles and extracts of a more general analytical
and empirical kind, are incorporated in the collections of Readings
for the module. There is only one 'free-standing' text, a manual on
Choices in the Design of Decentralisation published by the COMMONWEALTH
Secretariat. This is an unusually systematic guide to a range of design
issues (and the connections between them) that provides the basis of
your work in Unit 4. A number of additional readings are also provided;
remember that these do not form part of the work on which you are assessed
in your assignments and final examination for the module.
The Online Study Centre also has supplementary readings and useful
links to academic and other resources for this course.
Course Content
This course covers:
- decentralisation: what and why?
- economic theories of decentralisation
- globalisation and localisation
- designing decentralisation
- decentralisation and participation
- assessing decentralisation in practice
- case studies in economic decentralisation
- decentralisation and poverty
Tuition & Assessment
There are two assignments for
the Course after Units 4 and 8, that is, in weeks 4 and 8 of the study
calendar. To assist with revision and preparation for the final examination,
review questions and a specimen examination paper are provided. The
assignments count for 30% of the final mark and the examination 70%.
Assignments are submitted and feedback given online. In addition, queries
and problems can be answered through the Online Study Centre.
