Administrative Decentralization Research Articles

Decentralized Governance and the Performance of Garissa County, Kenya

Devolution is the strongest form of governance decentralization. Devolution involves rescaling of responsibilities or powers from the national to the regional political organization. The actual form and politics of such rescaling will vary substantially between states, however, amounting to a radical transfer of powers and resources in some cases and a more modest and rhetorical shift of responsibility and service delivery in others. The conceptual scope of this study will be limited to four governance structures variables namely financial decentralization, administrative decentralization, political decentralization and citizen participation. This study targeted staff of Garissa County and were composed of senior managers, middle level managers and operational staff. The study employed descriptive survey design. The researcher used questionnaires as research instruments to collect data to the study. The study adopted both primary and secondary data analysis research design. Primary data was collected using semi structured questionnaires containing both closed and open-ended questions to allow variety. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. In addition, the study used multiple regression analysis to analyze the data. From the study findings, this study concluded that administration decentralization has a significant and a positive effect on the performance of Garissa County. The study also concluded that political decentralization has a significant and a positive effect on the performance of Garissa County. From the findings, the study further concluded that financial decentralization had significant and a positive effect on the performance of Garissa County. The study finally concluded that citizen participation had a significant and positive effect on the performance of Garissa County. The study recommended that the government should increase county government autonomy to promote administrative decentralization. The study also recommended that national and county governments should put in place measures to safeguard the independence of political decentralization. The study further recommended that national and county governments should put in place a set of deliberate and proactive processes, policies and structures that support financial decentralization. Finally, the study recommended that county governments should improve citizen participation practices to ensure citizen involvement in governance.

The efficiency of public expenditures on basic services: The case of South African municipalities

AbstractThis paper examines the efficiency of service delivery across 213 local and metropolitan municipalities in South Africa, focusing on four critical areas: electricity, water, sewerage and waste removal. Utilising a order‐ partial frontier efficiency analysis (PFEA), the study calculates output‐oriented efficiency scores for each municipality, incorporating adjustments for service quality based on an ‘infrastructure quality‐index’. Our empirical findings indicate marked variations in efficiency, with electricity services exhibiting the highest efficiency rate at 35%, while waste removal lags behind at 22%. Additionally, municipalities centred around small urban towns are found to be more efficient, challenging the widely held view that larger municipalities are better equipped for efficient service delivery. The analysis offers empirical insights into local government performance in South Africa, underscoring the need for targeted policy interventions to address efficiency gaps. These results not only inform fiscal and administrative decentralisation strategies but also set the groundwork for future research exploring the underlying factors affecting municipal efficiency.

Administrative Decentralization and the Role of Information: The Case of Intimate Partner Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The U.S. federal government often devolves administrative processes and decision making to state and local governments. Prior studies have found that the success of decentralization and implementation depends on several mediating factors at the subnational level, such as a state's political ideology or administrative capacity. This study focuses on one mechanism—the ability of states to leverage their information advantage about the local context vis-à-vis the federal government. We are interested in whether the information advantage of state-level firearm background checks decreased the rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) involving a firearm compared to states that relied on federally administered background checks. We take advantage of data from the period of state-mandated stay-at-home (SAH) orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, a temporal context with increased IPV rates. Using a Poisson fixed effects regression, we find that rates of IPV involving a firearm did not increase when the SAH orders were in effect. However, using decision-relevant information in state-administered background checks decreased the rates of IPV resulting in injury and murder-suicide, compared to states that relied on federal background checks.

Значение организаций, реализующих государственно-властные полномочия, в системе публичного управления

The article analyzes advantages and disadvantages of both centralization and decentralization of public administration. The paper shows that tendencies towards predominantly centralized or predominantly decentralized public administration in the country are constantly replacing each other. Based on the analysis of this sine-shaped process, the author concludes that organizations that exercise separate government authorities, in particular, state corporations need to exist in the contemporary administrative system. As an example, the publication reviews the Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation. The author notes that organizations that exercise separate government authorities are full-fledged subjects of the public administration system.

The Administrative Decentralization Policy Strategy to Carry Out Quality Public Services to the People

The Administrative Decentralization Policy Strategy to Carry Out Quality Public Services to the People

Функциональная децентрализация государственного управления: релевантность заимствования опыта зарубежных стран

The paper undertakes a comparative legal analysis of the legal status elements of the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media and the French National Commission on Informatics and Liberty (Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés; hereinafter – CNIL, Commission). The purpose is to activate the deficient researchers’ attention to the problem of functional decentralization of public administration. The authors propose a definition of functional decentralization of public administration. The paper notes the contradiction between the commodification of services provided by CNIL and its democratic nature. Particular attention is paid to the possibility of vesting independent administrative authorities with legislative powers. It is argued that the peculiarities of CNIL’s human resource capacity should be explained through intentionality of the state. It is emphasised that the sanctions imposed by CNIL do not have the force of res judicata, which entails the authors’ conclusion on untenability of the theory proclaiming jurisdictional immunity of independent authority. The explicable impossibility of absolute independence of the commented de-etatisation phenomenon is substantiated in terms of correlation of autonomy and autarky. It has been revealed that a possibility of hypertrophied conceptualisation of autonomy of independent administrative bodies serves to be a structural drawback of the concept of functional decentralization of public administration. It is asserted that the direct linkage between the subject of governance and the managed object should be considered as a substantive feature of functional decentralization of public administration. It has been established that the introduction of the institute of independent authority in the public administration system should be preceded by consideration of relevant factors. The paper notes the deficit of theoretical studies on functional decentralization in the legal literature of the Russian Federation. The ensuing conclusion is that the development of the discussed concept within the framework of the Russian institutional landscape is possible at present only at the theoretical level.

Administrative Decentralization by Devolution in Local Government at Ward Level: A Case of Choma District, Southern Province

The study sought to analyze administrative decentralization by devolution in Local Government at ward level in Choma District, Southern Province using a qualitative approach in order to obtain in- depth explanation of the phenomenon. The study was informed by the public participation in governance theory. The study’s population consisted of officers from the Local Authority and Ward Development Committees. The sample size consisted of a total number of twelve participants and two focus group discussions (FGDs) from Wards Development committees (WDCs) which constituted of six members from each WDC in Choma Central Constituency. This study employed a non-probability sampling technique such as purposive sampling technique to select the respondents to participate in the study. Interview guides and focus group discussions were used to collect data. The study established the roles of WDCs; and that WDC members had little or no knowledge of the roles of WDCs. A number of challenges faced by WDCs affecting decentralisation were established such as lack of motivation for WDC members; inadequate provision of stationery, lack of transport for movements. Furthermore, the study established that WDCs had the capability of driving decentralization. The study concluded that WDCs are capable of driving decentralization. However, there is need to enhance decentralization through capacity building WDCs and equipping WDCs for an effective and efficient service delivery through dealing with challenges that are affecting the pace of driving decentralization.

Instytucjonalne i realizacyjne skutki decentralizacji administracji publicznej w warunkach chorwackiej administracji terenowej

In 2020, the deconcentrated model of the performance of state administration tasks in Croatian territorial units was replaced with the model of administrative decentralization. The new State Administration System Act abolished the county state administration offices as first-instance state administration bodies and transferred their tasks to the delegated scope of competence of counties as second-level self-government units. The paper explores the effects of administrative decentralization. Based on theoretical assumptions on decentralization effects, comparative experience with administrative decentralization ex-ante evaluation of county state administration offices abolition, five hypotheses about the effects of administrative decentralization in Croatian territorial governance setting are formulated. The hypotheses are tested by analysis of the legal and institutional framework of the performance of delegated tasks, empirical data gathered through the questionnaires, nine interviews, and secondary data. The results show that administrative decentralization strengthened the role of Croatian counties, strengthened their administrative role, strengthened the role of county governors, increased the horizontal and weakened vertical coordination, improved some aspects of service delivery but not uniformity in service provision across the state territory, and improved the transparency but not led to the democratization of county government. Five national-specific factors are analyzed as possible explanations for such results: general societal trends, external pressures, characteristics of Croatian public administration, general features of the Croatian local self-government system, and adopted organizational design.

Uzasadnienie sektorowego modelu izb gospodarczych – perspektywa polska

The authors of the conceptual article took up the topic of the sectoral model of chambers of commerce (of trade, of industry and commerce, etc.). This proposal complements the taxonomy of chambers present in the literature, based on three main models: continental, Anglo-Saxon and mixed. A comparative worldwide analysis of chambers of commerce indicates their significant diversity, but also the significant impact of historical and social conditions on their organization, position and effectiveness. Therefore, their system should be designed adequately to the needs of a given country, rather than directly transferring foreign or historical solutions into the domestic context. Present Polish chambers of commerce function as voluntary organizations associating entrepreneurs at various levels: sectoral, national, regional, local and bilateral (as Polish-foreign chambers). However, this solution does not provide effective communication between entrepreneurs and public authorities. Polish studies propose the creation of chambers of commerce in the continental model, which is based on the 19th-century regional structure. The authors argue that this concept is outdated in the era of global economic interconnections. The concentration of knowledge and competences needed today can be more effectively provided by the sectoral model. Sectoral chambers of commerce enable expert specialization appropriate to the needs of entrepreneurs and public authorities. They are also an effective platform for the decentralization of public administration. This model is an original concept of the authors in the discussion about possible evolution of chambers of commerce in the Polish context. Its implementation requires, i.a., proper definition of chambers’ tasks and the inclusion of entrepreneurs in the process of their creation. The discussion in the national press and industry magazines shows that these inquiries are valuable not only for science, but also for entrepreneurs and people responsible for the legislative process. Therefore, the aim of the conducted research was to justify the implementation of the sectoral model in the context of the current Polish practice and the increasing role of expert knowledge.

Jurisdictional decentralisation in favour of minority languages

Abstract This article sets out to explore what effects administrative and jurisdictional decentralisation might have on minority languages and the communities that use them, with special regard to those fragile language groups that are in a status which can be best described as a minority within a minority. Decentralisation often takes the form of regionalisation, which entails the division of a state’s territory into regions, not only in geographical and economic sense, but also by attributing certain administrative and jurisdictional powers to these newly formed units. Most of the time regional boundaries are drawn in such a way that the new intra-state borders respect the ethnic, linguistic, and cultural specificities of the population living there. If this is the case, it is possible for certain decision-making mechanisms and governance models to place jurisdiction over minority language issues among the competences granted to sub-national entities. The article sets out to explore the effects of jurisdictional decentralisation on three regional languages: the Aranese in Spain, the Ladin in Italy, and the Catalan in France. These communities are examined in detail in this paper, which proposes to shed light on some good practices available in Europe, but at the same time also draws attention to areas where there is still room for improvement along the lines discussed above.

Local Taxes in the Jurisprudence of Local Government Bodies

This article explores the role of local taxes within the jurisdiction of the local government bodies. It first highlights the significance of local taxes and their two-fold expression of territorial and material sovereignty. The authors delve into the concept of local taxes, its legal definitions, and the scope of taxes that local government units have authority over. The paper discusses the functions of local taxes. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of proper income division between the state and local governments to ensure effective decentralization of administration and public finances. The article explores the entities responsible for administering local taxes and their roles in establishing tax liabilities, granting reliefs and collecting revenues. It outlines the decisions made by local authorities regarding taxes, distinguishing between declaratory and constitutive decisions based on how tax liabilities are incurred. It then delves into the impact of tax relief on local government budgets, discussing the criteria used to grant such relief and how it relates to the economic circumstances of taxpayers. The text also addresses relief measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and their implications for local authorities. Lastly, the paper discusses the roles of local government bodies as creditors in enforcement proceedings, particularly in cases where tax liabilities need to be enforced. It outlines the conditions under which local authorities act as enforcement bodies.

Developing Dimensions and Indicators to Measure Decentralization in Decentralized Autonomous Organizations

Decentralization holds a significant role in the context of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), with its nature being not a fixed value but a comparative spectrum. Prior research investigating the measurement of decentralization in nations’ governance system provides a foundation for our current study. This research aims to integrate these insights to define dimensions and indicators, tailored explicitly for assessing decentralization levels within DAOs. Then, the article undertakes an examination of the suitability of traditional decentralization measurement approaches within the unique DAO context, employing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) as our analytical tool based on a total of 44 DAOs. Hence, the results suggest that DAOs have three dimensions for measuring decentralization, ‘political decentralization as a participatory engagement’, ‘economic decentralization as a resource distribution’, and ‘administrative decentralization as the self-governing execution of decisions’. By substantiating the applicability of established decentralization measurement frameworks within the unique context of DAOs, the findings not only enhance the understanding of this emergent governance paradigm but also provide DAO practitioners, policymakers, and researchers with invaluable insights.

The Need to Establish an EU Ombudsman for Migrants as a Consequence of Administrative Decentralisation

In recent years, the humanitarian management of migration has become a challenge for the European Union. Pursuant to the treaty provisions on shared competences within the Area of Freedom, the European Union largely complies with the norms of migration law, which are subsequently implemented into the laws of the Member States. As claimed by the paper, the protection of migrants’ fundamental rights is not ensured effectively due to the decentralisation of competences for protective actions between a plethora of administrative institutions and bodies of the EU and of member states insofar as they implement the EU law. The paper analyses the fundamental rights guarantees operating in the EU system, with a particular focus on guarantees for the protection of the fundamental rights of migrants. The main body of the paper explores the issue of dispersion of competences regarding migrant rights protection measures between different EU bodies, with most of them vested with limited powers to adopt protective measures (the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, the Consultative Forum under the EU Asylum Agency). The analysis conducted clearlyindicates the need to strengthen existing guarantees in primary and secondary law for the protection of migrants’ rights in terms of their implementation and execution by both the EU and national administrations. The establishment of the EU Ombudsman for the Protection of Migrant Rights, with specific powers, functions and duties, would definitely remedy this situation and facilitateharmonisation of protective actions in the European Union and standardisation of administrative procedures in Member StatesStreszczenieHumanitarne zarządzanie migracjami w ostatnich dekadach staje się wyzwaniem dla Unii Europejskiej. W związku z traktatowymi postanowieniami o kompetencjach dzielonych w ramach Przestrzeni Wolności, Unia Europejska w dużym stopniu stanowi normy prawa migracyjnego, implementowane następnie do prawa państw członkowskich. Zgodnie ze stawianą w artykule tezą, zapewnianie ochrony praw podstawowych migrantom nie jest w pełni skuteczne, poprzez swoiste rozproszenie kompetencji do działań ochronnych na różne instytucje i organy administracyjne Unii, jak również państw członkowskich w zakresie, w jakim implementują one prawo Unii. Artykuł poddaje analizie gwarancje praw podstawowych funkcjonujące w systemie UE, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem gwarancji ochrony praw podstawowych migrantów. Kluczowa część artykułu wskazuje na problem swoistego rozproszenia kompetencji w zakresie środków ochrony praw migrantów pomiędzy różne organy UE, w większości niewyposażone w twarde kompetencje ochronne (Agencja Praw Podstawowych UE, Forum Konsultacyjne działające przy Agencji UE ds. Azylu). Przeprowadzona analiza wskazuje jednoznacznie na konieczność wzmocnienia istniejących w prawie pierwotnym i wtórnym gwarancji ochrony praw migrantów na poziomie ich implementacji i realizacji, zarówno przez administrację unijną, jak też krajową. Remedium dla harmonizacji działań ochronnych i standaryzacji procedur administracyjnych w państwach członkowskich byłoby ustanowienie w systemie prawa unijnego specjalnego organu administracji – unijnego Ombudsmana ds. ochrony praw migrantówResumenEn los últimos años, la gestión humanitaria de la migración se ha convertido en un reto para la Unión Europea. De conformidad con las disposiciones de los tratados sobre competencias compartidas en el espacio de libertad, la Unión Europea establece en gran medida las normas del Derecho de migración, que luego se incorporan a las legislaciones de los Estados miembros. Como se argumenta en el artículo, la protección de los derechos fundamentales de los migrantes no está garantizada de manera efectiva debido a la descentralización de las competencias en materia de acción protectora entre una serie de instituciones y órganos administrativos de la UE y de los Estados miembros en la medida en que aplican la normativa de la UE. El artículo analiza las salvaguardias de los derechos fundamentales que operan en el sistema de la UE, con especial atención a las salvaguardias para la protección de los derechos fundamentales de los migrantes. La parte principal del artículo examina la dispersión de competencias en materia de medidas de protección de los derechos de los migrantes entre los distintos organismos de la UE, la mayoría de los cuales tienen competencias limitadas para adoptar medidas de protección (Agencia de Derechos Fundamentales de la UE, Foro Consultivo en el seno de la Agencia de Asilo de la UE). El análisis realizado señala sin lugar a dudas la necesidad de reforzar las salvaguardias existentes en el derecho primario y derivado para la protección de los derechos de los inmigrantes en lo que se refiere a su aplicación y cumplimiento tanto por parte de la UE como de las administraciones nacionales. La creación de una institución de Defensor del Pueblo de la UE para la protección de los derechos de los inmigrantes, dotada de competencias, funciones y obligaciones específicas, pondría definitivamente remedio a esta situación, facilitaría la armonización de las medidas de protección en la Unión Europea y normalizaría los procedimientos administrativos en los Estados miembroZusammenfassungDie humanitäre Migrationssteuerung hat sich in den letzten Jahrzehnten zu einer Herausforderung für die Europäische Union entwickelt. Aufgrund der vertraglichen Bestimmungen über die geteilten Zuständigkeiten innerhalb des Raums der Freiheit legt die Europäische Union weitgehend die Normen des Migrationsrechts fest, die anschließend in die Gesetze der Mitgliedstaaten umgesetzt werden. Die in dem Artikel aufgestellte These lautet, dass der Schutz der Grundrechte von Migranten nicht in vollem Umfang wirksam ist, da eine Art Streuung der Zuständigkeiten für Schutzmaßnahmen auf die verschiedenen Institutionen und Verwaltungsorgane der Europäischen Union sowie auf die Mitgliedstaaten erfolgt, soweit diese das Unionsrecht umsetzen. Der Artikel analysiert die Grundrechtsgarantien im EU-System, mit besonderem Augenmerk auf die Garantien für den Schutz der Grundrechte von Migranten. Der wichtigste Teil des Artikels verweist auf das Problem einer Art von der Zersplitterung der Zuständigkeiten im Bereich der Maßnahmen zum Schutz der Rechte von Migranten zwischen verschiedenen EU-Organen, von denen die meisten nicht mit harten Schutzkompetenzen ausgestattet sind (die EU-Agentur für Grundrechte, das bei der EU-Asylagentur tätige Konsultationsforum). Die durchgeführte Analyse zeigt deutlich, dass die bestehenden Garantien im Primär- und Sekundärrecht zum Schutz der Rechte von Migranten auf der Ebene ihrer Umsetzung und Durchführung sowohl durch die EU als auch durch die nationalen Verwaltungen verstärkt werden müssen. Ein Hilfsmittel zur Harmonisierung der Schutzmaßnahmen und zur Vereinheitlichung der Verwaltungsverfahren in den Mitgliedstaaten wäre die Einrichtung einer speziellen Verwaltungsstelle im EU-Rechtssystem - eines EU-Bürgerbeauftragten für den Schutz der Rechte von MigrantenРезюмеГуманитарное управление процессом миграции в последние десятилетия становится проблемой для Европейского союза. В силу договорных положений о совместных полномочиях в рамках Зоны свободы, Европейский союз в значительной степени формирует нормы миграционного права, которые впоследствии имплементируются в законодательство государств-членов. Согласно тезису, выдвинутому в статье, обеспечение защиты основных прав мигрантов не является в полной мере эффективным из-за своеобразного распыления сферы компетенции по защите прав между различными институтами и административными органами Союза, а также государства- ми-членами в той мере, в какой они имплементируют право ЕС. В статье проводится анализ гарантий основных прав, действующих в системе ЕС, и особое внимание уделяется гарантиям защиты основных прав мигрантов. Ключевая часть статьи указывает на проблему своеобразного распыления сферы компетенции в области мер по защите прав мигрантов между различными органами ЕС, большинство из которых не наделены жесткими защитными полномочиями (Агентство ЕС по основным правам, Консультативный форум, действующий при Агентстве ЕС по вопросам убежища). Проведенный анализ однозначно указывает на необходимость усиления существующих в первичном и вторичном законодательстве гарантий защиты прав мигрантов на уровне их импле- ментации и соблюдения, как органами ЕС, так и национальной администрацией. Средством согласования мер защиты и стандартизации административных процедур в государствах-членах может стать создание в правовой системе ЕС специального административного органа — Омбудсмена ЕС по защите прав мигрантов

Administrative Decentralisation and Health Service Delivery in Ibanda District Local Government, Uganda

While research on public service delivery in the Ibanda administrative area is abundant, there is a notable dearth of studies addressing the shortcomings in public health services. This investigation is specifically concerned with examining the influence of governance on the quality and accessibility of public health services in Ibanda District, as well as the impact of administrative decentralization on these services. A cross-sectional research design was employed for this study, involving data collection from 574 participants through self-administered surveys and interviews. Quantitative data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis, while qualitative data underwent content analysis. The study's findings and conclusions reveal a positive correlation between governance and the quality of public health services, as well as a favorable association between governance management and these services. Additionally, administrative management was found to have a positive impact on public health services. Consequently, the study offers recommendations for the central government, urging consistent vigilance in supporting district performance and allocating adequate resources for drug distribution and medical equipment to bolster healthcare within the district. Furthermore, the study advocates for a continued emphasis on effective administration, encouraging public involvement in decision-making processes, open communication through public hearings, and grassroots participation in financial planning, all aimed at enhancing public health services. In conclusion, this study underscores the need for greater attention to public health services within the Ibanda administrative area, as it contributes to the existing body of research on public service delivery

Метаморфоза парадигмы государственного управления и новые требования к квалификационным характеристикам госслужащих

In conditions of rapidly changing external environment, increasing international tension, and more complicated public policy, the theory of public administration must quickly adapt. Traditional models of public administration based on strict hierarchical subordination are extremely ineffective, which necessitates their radical rethinking and redesign. These changes affect the requirements for the qualification profile of civil servants. The key trend is the rejection of team management methods in favor of methods based on participation, involvement, effective motivation. The purpose of the study is to analyze the theory of public administration basic concepts (models); to establish the functions and tasks of civil servants and arrange them; to identify key trends in the society development that affect the qualification profile of civil servants. The research is based on scientific works, statistical data of national and foreign agencies and institutes, empirical data. Scientific methods: literature analysis, comparative analysis, synthesis, generalization, observation; methods, used in the article are of scientific abstraction and abstract thinking. The novelty of the research lies in the conclusion that the paradigm of public administration shifts towards social partnership and decentralization of public administration, increasing the responsibility of civil servants.

Research on the Achievements, Experience and Innovation Path of China’s Green Sharing Economy in the New Era

The Green Sharing Economy represents a novel economic paradigm emergent under the auspices of global technological revolutions and industrial transformation. This paradigm facilitates optimal resource allocation, establishing precise alignments between “demand pools” and “supply pools.” It concurrently enhances ecological environments, creating a harmonious interplay between lush landscapes and prosperous economies, while expanding employment opportunities, and fostering synergistic developments in mass entrepreneurship and innovation. Within the framework of the New Era, China’s Green Sharing Economy has experienced rapid ascension. This growth fundamentally stems from the continuous refinement of top-level designs by the Chinese government, guiding high-quality development in the Green Sharing Economy. Initiatives include the advancement of administrative streamlining and decentralization, creating a conducive business environment; the acceleration of information technology development, eliminating connectivity barriers; and significant investment in digital talent cultivation, providing the necessary human capital foundation. At this historical juncture, it is imperative to expedite the construction of a trust system for the Green Sharing Economy, continuously optimize its platform technology, constantly improve its regulatory framework, and actively expand its global market presence.

Problems on the path of formation of local self-government in France

The article is devoted to defining the peculiarities of the genesis of local self-government in France. The peculiarities of the formation of local self-government in the countries of continental law, in particular France and Ukraine, are determined. A superficial comparative analysis of the implementation of the powers of local self-government bodies in Ukraine and France at various stages of the countries’ development was conducted. The article states that the then French system of local self-government did not fully implement the principle of electability of all bodies and officials of local self-government, and at the end of the XIX century. this criterion was considered the main characteristic of administrative decentralization and began to be applied even to departmental self-government. It was noted that French society actively discussed the issue of the direction of the further development of the local self-government system. The scientific article contains information about forms of self-government similar to France in Belgium and Italy; in comparison with England, the state system of France should be considered not a democracy, but a bureaucracy. The article mentions the French revolution, the struggle against regionalism, the elimination of provinces and the creation of a new system of districts. The strengthening of the regionalization process, which went into decline only by the middle of the 20th century, is analyzed. The constant interest in the system of local self­government in France, especially the period of the French Republic, when a model of local self-government with broad representation, based on secret, universal, equal suffrage, was first proposed (during the 19th - early 20th centuries in Europe) is emphasized. The article states that the attitude towards the French model of local self-government depended on the perception of France itself, which sometimes led to a distorted perception of its organization of local self-government. The tendency is especially noticeable in the works of German political scientists and legal scholars. It was determined that the concepts of local self-government and decentralization of power were not distinguished and detailed in France, so due to the confusion of terms during administrative decentralization, the development of the system of self-government as a political institution of language in France was somewhat behind. It was established that the negative attitude towards the French system of local government, which developed during the period of the second monarchy and was supported by German jurists and political scientists, persisted even after the reform of 1871.
 It was concluded that the development and formation of local self-government in France had its own problems, but this did not prevent it from arriving at an effective both legislative and practical model of the exercise of powers by local self-government bodies.

Decentralisation’s Effects on Health: Theory and Evidence from Balochistan, Pakistan

The paper investigated the impact of decentralisation on health outcomes in Balochistan. It looked at how decentralisation has been [in]effective in improving (worsening) the overall healthcare services in the province. The impact of decentralisation was seen through the National Finance Commission’s (NFC) 7th NFC Award and the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. Both initiatives provide fiscal and administrative decentralisation to the provinces in Pakistan. Healthcare service in Pakistan is a provincial subject and any step that helps to improve the capacity of the provinces should supposedly translate into better services of healthcare. After the 7th NFC Award and the 18th Amendment, Balochistan has gained bigger fiscal space and provincial autonomy to improve social services including health. The study used a time series dataset from 1975 to 2020 from federal/provincial/district sources to provide micro-level evidence of static (or otherwise) outcomes in health corresponding to decentralisation. The paper compared the public health provision by provincial/subnational government with a centralised government to assess which tier is more effective (or otherwise) in health care provision considering various institutional types in both decentralised and decentralised regimes. The findings show that decentralisation did not improve health outcomes such as life expectancy, infant mortality rate, and child immunisation. Instead, it caused an increase in infant mortality in Balochistan. The paper concludes that health outcomes have not improved in post decentralisation despite bigger fiscal space and provincial autonomy. Thus, the province has not been able to increase healthcare services with qualitatively better outcomes.

Action-oriented planning methods as a tool for improving regional governance in Switzerland: Evidence from the Sisslerfeld area

Faced with challenges such as rapid transformation of existing settlements, reorganisation of mobility patterns, and climate change mitigation management, the governance of spatial development in Switzerland demands institutional and procedural innovations, particularly noticeable at the regional scale. Although cantons, the middle-governmental tier between the federal and communal authorities (municipalities), play a coordinating role supported by numerous formal and informal planning instruments, the small size of the institutional territory, coupled with administrative decentralisation of the country and autonomy of the lowest administrative levels, often challenges a multi-governmental and multi-sectorial approach to regional spatial development. Against the concepts of regional governance, regional planning and the action-oriented planning, and using the mixed-method research approach (focusing on documentary analysis and ethnographic methods), the article critically assesses a planning method – test planning – applied in the process of creating a development vision of Sisslerfeld, the largest land reserve in the Swiss canton of Aargau. Research results highlight the potential and limitations of informal collaborative procedures and elucidate the approaches of critical actors in an effort to achieve joint institutional action.

Local Government and Its Relationship with The Central Government In Light of Iraqi Legislations

Objective: The study deals with the situation in Iraq after 2003, which is a new stage in the political and administrative history of Iraq after the adoption of the federal system and the transition from the centralization system to the administrative decentralization system, which was explicitly stated in the Iraqi constitution of 2005, and the law of irregular governorates in Region No. 22 for the year 2008. Method: the descriptive approach was used in explaining the concept of local governance and local administration and the differences between the two concepts, using the comparative method in defining the competencies of each of the central government and its local units in accordance with the Iraqi constitution of 2005 and comparing that with the law of irregular governorates in the region No. 22 of the year 2008 and its amendments. Results: Because the federal experience in Iraq came as a result of the occupation and its repercussions and not as a result of the maturation of social and political awareness, its legislation was characterized by weakness with regard to the distribution of competencies for both the local administration and the central administration. Also, the Governorates Law No. 22 of 2008 failed to set a general policy for local governments for their establishment, organization, management and the way of distributing their competencies, which led to a conflict between the competencies of each of the local governments and the central government.