ABSTRACT
Democratic decentralization can be an extremely useful part of the enabling environment, facilitating many of the goals of the Comprehensive Development Framework and Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers. Some come around when they see that decentralization enhances government legitimacy. Over time, if decentralized systems are allowed to survive with most of their powers intact, a more pervasive sense of ownership may develop. In almost all decentralizing governments many high-level politicians and bureaucrats resent their loss of powers and resources. When democratic decentralization works well, people at lower levels of government acquire a sense of ownership of development projects. In developing countries, civil society includes national associations and large nongovernmental organizations as well as small grassroots associations and everything. Holistic development requires greater coordination, resonance, and mutual reinforcement among line ministries and their policies and programs. Sometimes, however, a paradox emerges when transparency is enhanced in the ways.
