2025-12-30
Kwasi Addei Mensah, Agatha Venyellu
This study investigates the successes and challenges of Ghana’s District Performance Assessment Tool (DPAT) for local governments, and offers recommendations to inform future policy. A descriptive qualitative research design was employed, and 24 staff were purposively sampled. The study found that DPAT has enabled local governments to improve their performance, and acts as a check to ensure that they follow good governance principles and comply with legal regulatory frameworks. The challenges of DPAT include the practicability of indicators, lack of an equitable system of assessment, inadequate understanding of indicators, composition of the national-level steering committee, human resource challenges, and inadequacy and delay in the release of funds. Furthermore, it was found that stakeholder engagement, equity in the assessment of performance, strict compliance with relevant laws, regular monitoring by regional consultative committees, and prompt disbursement of required funds are key factors that can help make DPAT more effective.
2025-12-30
Nure Alam, Maruf Hasan Rumi
Bangladesh has implemented numerous safety net programmes since 1971 in an effort to fight against persistent and long-term poverty. Although most of these programmes are geared towards rural areas, urbanisation has led to an increase in the number of urban poor during the past 40 years. Open Market Sale (OMS) is the oldest, biggest and priciest metropolitan social protection programme, aiming to provide low-cost rice and flour to the urban poor. This study seeks to evaluate OMS’ service quality, using a qualitative, exploratory research design. It finds that the OMS programme is beset by numerous issues including poor targeting, political interference, leakages, loss of food grains, and low-quality goods – all of which impede its service quality. Moreover, it is significantly underfunded, local authorities are not always supportive, and corruption is very common among both programme administrators and local dealers. The study suggests that the government should regulate the operation of the OMS programme more efficiently, as its effectiveness largely relies on its service quality.
2025-12-30
Karen Bird, Abbey Forbes, Gloria Liu, Maïa Rousseau
This study looks at recent city council debates over introducing Indigenous seats in Canadian and New Zealand municipalities, asking whether debate is respectful and focused on relevant issues, and agreements are decisive and consequential. Despite very different national contexts and local government systems, overall we find similar arguments across the two countries. And while deliberation is generally civil and principled among councils as a whole, individual councillors who voted against Indigenous representation tended to argue in ways that are potentially polarising. We relate our observations to wider arguments about the exclusion of urban Indigenous peoples from local policymaking and the importance of making rational inputs available for citizens’ judgement and decision.
2025-12-30
Seun Bamidele
This paper delves into the complex interplay between fiscal federalism and local government autonomy in Nigeria, a nation marked by an intricate federal structure and persistent governance challenges. The study examines how Nigeria's fiscal federalism impacts the autonomy and effectiveness of local governments, focusing on the allocation and management of financial resources, political interference, and administrative constraints. Despite significant reforms aimed at decentralising power and improving local governance, local governments continue to face substantial hurdles, including revenue misappropriation and limited autonomy. The paper highlights the ongoing struggle for genuine self-governance against a backdrop of fiscal centralisation and political manipulation. By analysing the historical context, current practices, and international comparators, this study provides insights into the systemic issues undermining local government autonomy in Nigeria and suggests potential reforms for enhancing local governance and addressing developmental disparities. The findings underscore the need for a balanced approach to fiscal federalism that supports both effective local governance and overall national cohesion.