State of Local Governance Institutions

Decentralization and multilevel governance shape how authority and responsibilities are distributed across different levels of government. Subnational governments are often vital for inclusive service delivery and sustainable development, ensuring that governance systems address diverse local needs while maintaining national oversight.

However, the interplay between central and subnational governments creates complex institutional arrangements requiring coordination, negotiation, and collaboration. Local and regional authorities operate under varying constitutional and legal mandates and different political, administrative and fiscal constraints, influencing their ability to deliver essential services.

Before exploring any system of intergovernmental relations in detail, an assessment of decentralization and multilevel governance requires a consistent understanding of a country’s subnational governance structure; the nature of governance institutions; and the (de jure and de facto) assignment of functional responsibilities.

The Local Public Sector Alliance is currently in the process of assessing the state of subnational governance institutions for countries around the world by applying the Local Governance Institutions Comparative Assessment framework (LoGICA). This page provides access to LoGICA Intergovernmental Profiles (IGPs) prepared for countries in all global regions.

Africa (Sub-Saharan)

Asia-Pacific

Europe & Central Asia

North America, Latin America & Caribbean

Middle East & North Africa (MENA)