Decentralization in Developing Countries: A Review of Recent Experience

摘要

A large number of governments in developing countries have attempted to decentralize development planning and management responsibilities during the past decade. Decentralization has taken a number of forms--deconcentration of functions within the central bureaucracy, delegation of semiautonomous or quasi-public corporations, devolution to local governments, and the transfer of functions to nongovernment organizations. The results have been mixed. In some countries decentralization has resulted in greater participation in development activities, more effective and efficient administration of local and rural development programs, and expanded administrative capacity outside of the national capital. But in nearly all countries where governments have attempted to decentralize, they have faced serious problems of implementation. Some problems arose from insufficent central political and bureaucratic support and others from ingrained centrist attitudes and behavior on the part of political and administrative leaders. In some countries, decentralization policies and programs were inappropriately designed, organized, and carried out. Nearly everywhere it was tried, decentralization was weakened by the failure to transfer sufficient financial resources to those organizations to which responsibilities were shifted.