PAHS 304 Local Government

Administration

Teaching Team:
Dr. Daniel Appiah
Teaching Assistant: Ms. Grace Wilson

1
 Session 2: Decentralization to Local
Government
❖ Students should understand the following issues:

i. Meaning of Human Development

ii. Meaning of Decentralization
iii. Meaning of Local Government
iv. Importance of local government to citizens

v. Importance of local government to central government

vi. Decentralization equilibrium

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Promoting Human Development in Countries

❖ Human development refers to

the ability of an individual to Physiological needs: Water,
satisfy the basic needs for Food, air/oxygen, etc
his/her well-being in a society.

1. Basic physiological needs for

well-being: Food, water, clean
environment, etc) and

2. Basic psychological needs for

well-being: Inclusiveness,
Psychological needs: Inclusiveness,
autonomy, and competence. autonomy, and competence
Slide 3
 Role of Government in Promoting Human
Development in Ghana
• .

The Ghanaian State

Slide 4
Tracking the Progress of Central Government

Slide 5
 Decentralization to Local Governments
.

World Bank Office, Accra

Decentralize functions & authority

to Local Governments
Slide 6
 Decentralization: Understanding the
Concept and Practice
Private ➢ According to the World Bank
sector
agencies (2001), decentralization is
Military “the transfer of authority
Judiciary and responsibility for public
& Police
functions from the central
Central
Gov’t government to intermediate
Ghana and local governments or
Education Local quasi-independent
Government
Service government organizations
Ghana
Revenue and/or the private.”
Authority

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 Decentralization: Understanding the
Concept and Practice
➢ Decentralization refers to
Private
Sector
various forms of structural
Agencies arrangements by which the
Military central government
Judiciary transfers development
& Police
Central functions, authority, and
Gov’t resources to lower-level
Ghana agencies to promote the
Education Local well-being of citizens.
Government
Service
Ghana
Revenue
➢ In this course, we shall
Authority focus on decentralization
to local government.
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Decentralization of Functions, Authority, & Resources
for Development of Citizens in Local Communities
. .

Central Government

❖ Transfer of Functions,
Authority, and Resources

Slide 9
Decentralization of Functions, Authority, and
Resources for Accelerated Development

Slide 10
 What Is Local Government?
❑ The United Nations (UN) Office for
Public Administration definition:
Private
Sector
Agencies
➢ Local Government is “A political
Military &
sub-division of a nation or
Judiciary
Police state, which is constituted by
Central
law and has substantial control
Gov’t of local affairs, including the
Ghana powers to impose taxes or to
Education Local
Service Government exact labour for prescribed
Ghana purposes. The governing body
Revenue of such an entity is elected or
Authority
otherwise locally selected.”
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 Decentralization: Transfer of Powers from
Central Government to Local Government
.
The United Nations (UN): Local Government is “A political sub-
division of a nation or state, which is constituted by law and has
substantial control of local affairs, including the powers to impose
taxes or to exact labour for prescribed purposes. The governing body
of such an entity is elected or otherwise locally selected.”
 Why Citizens Demand for Decentralization
of Powers to Local Government
❖ Political, economic, and managerial reasons account for why citizens
demand for local government. They include:
i. Ensure political participation in government decision-making.
ii. Use as political training grounds for future national leadership.
iii. Ensure accountability of political rulers in the use of public resources.
iv. Ensure the responsiveness of central government and public
administrators to local problems and needs.
v. Ensure local ownership of development policies and programmes.
vi. Reduce transaction cost in the provision of public goods and services.
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 Why Central Government Decentralize
Powers to Local Government
❖ Apart from supporting the demands of citizens, the central
government may have other political, economic, and social
reasons for decentralization. They include the following:
i. To promote the legitimacy of the government in the country.
ii. To facilitate the mobilization of financial resources from remote
local areas to the central government (widening the tax net).
iii. To promote federalism as a solution to strong demands by
some ethnic groups for secession from a unitary state.
iv. To promote law and order in local areas of the country.

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 Ensuring Decentralization Equilibrium in
Local Government Systems
.
Equilibrium occurs where Supply equals Demand

4
Types of functions

1
Central Accra Kumasi Tamale
Gov’t
Decentralization equilibrium: Supply of functions and resources
should be equal to demand for functions and resource capability.
Summary: Decentralization of Functions, Authority,
and Resources for Accelerated Development
• .

➢ Concentration of state
functions, authority, and
resources at the center of
government stifles the
development of local areas.

➢ Local governments as a
solution for accelerated,
responsive and
accountable development
at the local level.
The Ghanaian State
Slide 16