Decentralization in Africa : why, when, and where

It identifies the conditions under which decentralization can promote three USAID goals, and considers these three goals in order, following a first section that outlines the basic framework of the guide. The first section shows how the prospects for decentralization are shaped by two categories of conditions. One is the background or contextual conditions in any given country. The other is the political economy, which emphasizes the incentives facing different actors in a country"s political system. Following this first section, section 2 treats the USAID goal of stability. The goal of development (to include economic growth and human development) is treated in section 3, while the goal of deepening democracy and democratic governance is the subject of section 4. Throughout, the document relies for evidence upon the Comparative Analysis of Decentralization in Africa (CADA) reports. The document synthesizes available evidence from the CADA and considers where and under what conditions these goals can be promoted elsewhere. This synthesis points toward programming for policy reform (in a separate guide) and provides a point of reference for the conditions under which USAID personnel might effectively advocate for decentralized governance. (Excerpt)