Local Governments Facing Turbulence: Robust Governance and Institutional Capacities

Abstract

Crisis environments, which are becoming systemic, pose significant challenges to local governments. The present study sought to present an academic contribution by introducing an analytical framework designed to scrutinize the institutional capabilities of local governance bodies in effectively responding to the emergent structural nature of crises within contemporary contexts. The study centered its attention on the concept of robust governance and accentuated a collection of factors that facilitate proficient public administration: contingency planning capacity, analytical capacity, organizational management capacity, and collaborative capacity. The paper presented a broad analysis of academic literature on the subject and it defined an analytical model for assessing local government capacities to deal with crises. One of the achievements of this work was the identification of key indicators that elucidate the institutional capabilities of local government bodies in addressing crisis environments. Through the examination of these indicators, the suggested analytical framework offers a comprehensive methodology for evaluating the readiness of municipal authorities in dealing with crisis situations. Furthermore, it enables comparative analysis of local government systems in analogous contexts, facilitating the identification of exemplary strategies for enhancing crisis management. The analytical model needs to be validated in further empirical studies.