ABSTRACT
The reach of the decentralization movement, especially since the early 1990s, has substantially changed governance structures in the global south. The pervasiveness of decentralization is clear, as seen in the case studies and demonstrated by Table 14.1. What cannot be read from the chart, however, are the motives that have driven this movement, nor its implications. Those questions remain matters of considerable controversy. One of our aims as we examined decentralized planning in the global south has been to assess its potential for the distribution of resources to disadvantaged groups, and for empowering them to influence planning processes and their outcomes. From that vantage point, we have sought to clarify whether the decentralization movement has in fact improved local governance as its proponents had envisioned that it would. The case studies in this volume illuminate the motives that prompted decentralization, document the institutional and legal changes made to support decentralization, and explain the ways in which various political actors shaped the decentralization process and its outcomes. The case studies demonstrate that no simple answer can be given to the question of decentralization’s outcome, especially when the experiences of decentralization are examined across the diverse social and political landscapes that comprise the global south. Nonetheless, it is possible to draw some conclusions from the collective observations here that enhance our understanding of decentralization and its implications for planning.
