Regions & Countries Archives – Decentralization Net

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[ January 16, 2026 ] Why people-centered smart cities matter for decentralization Cities and urban development
[ January 14, 2026 ] UCLG: Towards a new Local Social Covenant Community
[ January 12, 2026 ] Multi-Level Governance in the Western Balkans Administrative decentralization
[ December 19, 2025 ] Conditional grants and the hidden politics of fiscal decentralization Australia
[ December 18, 2025 ] Nearby solutions: The role of regional and local governments in Latin America Decentralization

Multi-Level Governance in the Western Balkans

January 12, 2026 Marina Jandrevska

Multi-level governance (MLG) in the Western Balkans has made notable progress over the past decade, with administrations aligning institutional and legal frameworks to European principles and strengthening the role of local governments in democratic governance […]

Conditional grants and the hidden politics of fiscal decentralization

December 19, 2025 LPS Alliance

In discussions on fiscal decentralization, conditional grants are often treated as a technical detail rather than a central feature of multilevel governance. Much of the debate focuses on revenue assignments, own-source taxation, or unconditional transfers, […]

Nearby solutions: The role of regional and local governments in Latin America

December 18, 2025 Limabenla Jamir

The decentralization process over the past four decades in Latin America and the Caribbean has strengthened the role of local and regional governments, yet systematic knowledge of their functions, resources, and service delivery remains limited. […]

The new U.S.–Kenya health partnership risks missing the real problem

December 10, 2025 LPS Alliance

On December 6, the governments of Kenya and the United States announced a major five-year, $2.5 billion cooperation framework to strengthen Kenya’s health sector. The agreement signals renewed American commitment to supporting Kenya’s efforts to […]

Local governments as engines of citizen engagement in Africa

December 1, 2025 LPS Alliance

Afrobarometer’s African Insights 2025 report offers a rich and timely window into how citizens across the continent are engaging in public life, making demands on their leaders, and asserting democratic voice. While the report covers […]

How decentralization is shaping economic development in Burkina Faso

November 24, 2025 Lynn Wambu

Over the past few decades, decentralization has become a key reform strategy across sub-Saharan Africa, aiming to bring the government closer to the people and boost local development. Burkina Faso offers a compelling case. A […]

What works better: elected leaders or appointed bureaucrats?

November 24, 2025 Limabenla Jamir

A long-running debate in decentralization circles asks whether local governments function better under elected leaders or appointed bureaucrats. Advocates of political decentralization emphasize accountability, community voice, and responsiveness, while supporters of technocratic administration highlight expertise, […]

Decentralization and its financing in Togo

November 21, 2025 LPS Alliance

Togo’s decentralization journey has been long, uneven, and politically complex. Yet in recent years—especially since the landmark municipal elections of 2019 and the regional elections of 2024—the country has taken meaningful steps toward establishing a […]

Territorial development and decentralization in Latin America and the Caribbean

November 13, 2025 LPS Alliance

The newly published study by the TALD Facility, Territorial Development and Decentralization in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Comparative Study Across 22 Countries (2025), offers a timely, finely-grained examination of decentralization dynamics in the […]

Advancing multilevel governance and urban finance in Somalia

October 27, 2025 Jacqueline Muthura

The Local Public Sector Alliance (LPSA), in partnership with the World Bank Somalia, implemented a sequence of two capacity-building programs in 2025 designed to equip Somali policymakers and practitioners with the skills, tools, and frameworks […]