Policy analysis in local government: objects, perspectives, and actors

Abstract

Local government in Spain is highly fragmented and this implies certain difficulties both for policy analysis and for studying the performance of these entities. Studies of policy analysis at the local level in Spain emerged in the mid-eighties and local governments were particularly active with significant differences across policy areas and typologies of entities. In some cases, such as policies regarding citizen participation, policy design and implementation resulted from an open dialogue between local governments and academia. This chapter aims to explore policy analysis in local government and examine the relationship between academic studies and institutionalised policy analysis processes in local governments. To achieve this objective, we first explore the structure and different layers of Spanish local government. Then we focus on specific areas; firstly, on basic mandatory tasks in the fourth section, and non-compulsory policies in the fifth section. Large cities and urban policies such as major policy analysis actors are the focus in the sixth section, and finally we also suggest a reflection on the relationships between the analysts and the objects of analysis. The chapter aims to offer a general overview of policy analysis including different policy areas, types of local government and entities.