Decentralization in Client Countries : An Evaluation of World Bank Support, 1990-2007

The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) assessed the effectiveness of Bank support for decentralization between fiscal 1990 and 2007 in 20 countries, seeking to inform the design and implementation of future support. Given the difficulties of measuring the results of decentralization, the evaluation used intermediate outcome indicators such as strengthened legal and regulatory frameworks for intergovernmental relations, improved administrative capacity, and increased accountability of subnational governments and functionaries to higher levels of government and to citizens to assess the results of Bank support in these 20 countries. To examine potential lessons at a sectoral level, the evaluation also assessed whether Bank support for decentralization improved intermediate outcomes for service delivery in the education sector in 6 of the 20 countries. Bank support contributed to more effective decentralization substantially in more than one-third of the 20 cases and modestly in the others. The most successful aspects of Bank support pertained to the legal frameworks for intergovernmental relations, the frameworks for intergovernmental fiscal transfers, and subnational financial management Bank support was less effective in clarifying the roles and responsibilities of different levels of government and in improving own-source revenue mobilization by subnational governments. This was often a result of lack of political will. Other things being equal, Bank support brought better results where there was consensus around the reform within the country prior to Bank engagement and when the support was combined with incentives for institutional reform at the subnational level. Looking forward, the results of Bank support for decentralization can be strengthened with more timely and coordinated analytical work to underpin it, by better coordinating fragmented sector-by-sector interventions, and by accompanying support for policy reform with technical assistance to strengthen local government capacity.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Independent Evaluation Group
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC : World Bank 2008
Subjects:	ABSENTEEISM, ACCESS TO INFORMATION, ACCOUNTABILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY ARRANGEMENTS, ACCOUNTING, ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY, AMBITION, ANNUAL COMMITMENTS, ANNUAL REPORT, ANTI-CORRUPTION, ANTI-CORRUPTION STRATEGY, ANTICORRUPTION, ASSIGNMENT OF EXPENDITURES, AUTHORITY, AUTONOMY, BASIC SERVICE, BASIC SERVICES, BEST PRACTICE, CENTRAL AGENCIES, CENTRAL CONTROL, CENTRAL GOVERNMENT, CENTRAL GOVERNMENTS, CITIES, CITIZEN PARTICIPATION, CITIZENS, CIVIL SOCIETY, COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION, COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT, CONSENSUS, CONSTITUTION, COUNTRY PROGRAMS, DEBT, DEBT MANAGEMENT, DEBT RELIEF, DECENTRALIZATION, DECENTRALIZATION ACTIVITIES, DECENTRALIZATION FRAMEWORK, DECENTRALIZATION OF SERVICE DELIVERY, DECENTRALIZATION PROCESS, DECENTRALIZATION REFORMS, DECENTRALIZATION STRATEGY, DECISION MAKING, DECISION-MAKING, DECONCENTRATION, DELIVERY OF SERVICES, DEMOCRACY, DEVOLUTION, DIAGNOSTIC TOOL, DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITIES, DONOR COLLABORATION, ECONOMIES IN TRANSITION, EDUCATION SERVICES, EVALUATION CAPACITY, EVALUATION METHODOLOGY, EXPENDITURE, EXPENDITURE RESPONSIBILITIES, FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY, FINANCIAL AUTHORITY, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, FINANCIAL RESOURCES, FINANCIAL SECTOR, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, FISCAL AUTHORITY, FISCAL COSTS, FISCAL DECENTRALIZATION, FISCAL DEFICITS, FISCAL DISCIPLINE, FISCAL FRAMEWORKS, FISCAL REFORM, FISCAL TRANSFERS, FISCAL YEARS, GOOD GOVERNANCE, GOVERNANCE INDICATORS, GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY, GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES, GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE, GOVERNMENT LEVEL, GOVERNMENT LEVELS, GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP, GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE, GOVERNMENT STRATEGY, GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE, GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES, HEALTH CARE, HEALTH PROGRAMS, HEALTH SECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, INITIATIVE, INSTITUTION BUILDING, INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS, INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISM, INSTITUTIONAL REFORM, INTEGRITY, INTERGOVERNMENTAL FISCAL RELATIONS, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, LAWS, LEADERSHIP, LEGAL FRAMEWORKS, LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, LOCAL AUTONOMY, LOCAL CAPACITY BUILDING, LOCAL COUNCILS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAPACITY, LOCAL GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, LOCAL REVENUE, LOCAL REVENUE SOURCES, MACROECONOMIC INSTABILITY, MACROECONOMIC STABILIZATION, MATURITY, MEMBER COUNTRIES, MUNICIPAL, MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT, MUNICIPAL FINANCE, MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL LEVEL, NATIONS, NATURAL DISASTERS, ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, OUTCOME INDICATORS, PENSION REFORM, PENSION SYSTEMS, PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS, POLICY DECISIONS, POVERTY REDUCTION, POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY, PRESIDENTS, PRINCIPAL-AGENT, PROCUREMENT, PROGRAMS, PUBLIC EXPENDITURE, PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, PUBLIC INVESTMENTS, PUBLIC RESOURCES, PUBLIC SECTOR, PUBLIC SECTOR PERFORMANCE, PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM, PUBLIC SERVICE, PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY, PUBLIC SERVICES, REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS, REPRESENTATIVES, RESOURCE ALLOCATION, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, RESOURCE MOBILIZATION, REVENUE MOBILIZATION, RULING PARTY, SECTOR PROGRAMS, SERVICE DELIVERY, SERVICE PROVIDERS, SOCIAL FUNDS, SOCIAL SECTORS, SOCIAL SERVICES, STATED OBJECTIVES, STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT, SUBNATIONAL GOVERNMENT, SUBNATIONAL GOVERNMENTS, SUBSIDIARY, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TRANSPORT, UNCERTAINTY, UNITARY SYSTEMS, URBAN ECONOMIES, WATER SUPPLY,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/08/9850636/decentralization-client-countries-evaluation-world-bank-support-1990-2007 https://hdl.handle.net/10986/6543
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