The Local Public Sector Alliance (LPSA) is a global professional network for advocates of inclusive and efficient decentralization and localization grounded in the recognition that decentralization and localization are critical for achieving resilient, inclusive, sustainable, equitable and efficient development.
Our members and partners are brought together by the recognition that the global challenges that countries face in the 21st century cannot be dealt with by any single government level alone, including challenges like climate change and environmental disasters; pandemics and lack of universal access to health care; urban crowding and congestion; bigotry and patriarchy; or political polarization and authoritarianism. Inclusive and effective multilevel governance systems are needed to ensure that stakeholders at all levels of society can work together to collectively solve these challenges.
With this in mind, the Alliance brings together practitioners, scholars and citizens from around the world to elevate the global debate on decentralization and local governance through knowledge development; knowledge sharing; and convening, outreach, and field-building.
Global diversity and inclusion: LPSA Working Groups
As the potential impact of more inclusive and efficient decentralization and localization is greatest in the Global South, the Alliance further aims to shift the focus of the Community of Practice from the global level (where dialogue tends to be dominated by global organizations and experts from the Global North) to the regional and country levels, particularly in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. In line with global discussions surrounding “de-colonizing” and “localization” of global development efforts, the Alliance wants to live up to its ambition of being an inclusive and representative global network.
LPSA aims to achieve greater diversity, equity, and inclusion (as well as greater organizational effectiveness) by practicing what it preaches: by transforming the Alliance into a globally decentralized organization, with Regional Working Groups in every global region leading discussions on decentralization and localization within each global region. In addition, the Alliance is in the process of establishing a number of Thematic Working Groups to serve the diverse interests and demands from the global Community of Practice.
Each of these working groups are (or will be) co-chaired by volunteers–including by practitioners, scholars, or citizens–who want to “elevate the global debate on decentralization and localization” by engaging with colleagues from different countries, institutions, and disciplines. Because each working group is co-chairs by 3 or 4 colleagues, the time commitment from each co-chair is relatively limited.
The Alliance seeks to ensure that the leadership and membership of each working group represents–as much as possible–the global or regional constituents that they seek to serve, both in terms of global diversity, as well as in terms of gender balance. The Alliance is committed to engaging with all stakeholders around the world (government officials, policy makers, practitioners, scholars, civil society representatives and citizens) in an inclusive manner without regard to age, ancestry, disability, national or ethnic origin, race, religious belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or veteran status.
How do LPSA Working Groups work?
Each Regional or Thematic Working Group seeks to “elevate the global decentralization and localization debate” by assessing, advancing, and sharing the state of global knowledge on decentralization, multilevel governance, intergovernmental relations, local governance and local development in its region or thematic area. Working group activities include:
- Quarterly working group meetings, in order for working group members to update each other on decentralization reforms and relevant public sectors reform projects across the region; and to identify topics of mutual interest;
- Knowledge sharing (through blog posts and webinars). Each Working Group aims to keep its members as well as the larger (global) Community of Practice informed on relevant reforms, trends, and policy research in its region or thematic area by sharing relevant news and information through blog posts on Decentralization.Net. Each Working Group further aims to organize one or more webinars, roundtables, or other knowledge-sharing events on topics of interest to the wider community of practice each year; and
- Exploring topics of mutual interest and advancing the state of knowledge through research and other knowledge development efforts, by mobilizing the Working Group’s collective resources and/or by linking to other LPSA resources and Working Groups as relevant.
Each working group will be supported by a part-time Working Group Coordinator.
Looking for co-chair nominations
At this time, LPSA is looking forward to receiving nominations for co-chairs of LPSA’s nascent Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Working Group as well as for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Working Group.
In addition, we look forward to receiving nominations for our nascent thematic working groups, which will consider the role of decentralization and local governance in the following thematic areas:
- Inclusive governance, local democracy, and community-led development
- Subnational finance
- Localization of services and development
- Conflict, fragility and migration
- Local Climate Action
- Cities and Urban Development
- Women’s Empowerment
How to submit co-chair nominations?
Nominations for co-chairs can be submitted online using our online suggestions form, or can be submitted to LPSA’s Board of Directors by email through Ms. Mirna Dave (Program Administrator) at mirna@decentralization.net. Nominations should be received by June 30, 2023 to receive full consideration.
The establishment (and timing) of different working groups will depend on the feedback received from our members and community of practice, as well as the ability of LPSA’s Secretariat to coordinate the formation of new working groups.
Joining LPSA Working Groups
LPSA Regional and Thematic Working Group meetings are open to LPSA’s membership and to the general public. You can join any Regional or Thematic Working Group and receive reminders and updates from the Working Group by opting-in to the working group as part of your free LPSA Membership registration.
