Cultivating local capacity to restructure Nepali governance

Abstract

Local government has the capacity to achieve outcomes for grassroots political movements in creating responsive governance and an enabling environment to promote the democratic values and public participation amongst marginal groups in decision-making processes. However, in Nepali society there remains much public frustration and dissatisfaction with local government, as corruption and dishonesty in the political and bureaucratic spheres have created extreme impediments for the capacity of local government to deliver grassroots objectives, especially relating to justice and service delivery. Against this background, this research aims to address a major research question: To what extent is local government able to implement the constitutionally granted rights to transform local communities? Using a case study of the restructured Nepali local government units, findings indicate that more capacity is required to enable the restructuring process of local governance; increase citizen engagement in the local governance system; enhance technical, administration and fiscal capacity for effective service delivery; and formulate essential laws, acts and regulations. Major barriers to increasing the capacity of local government include lack of local autonomy, political conflict based on ethnic and class identities, the productive engagement of outsiders and the democratization of bureaucracy.