Advanced EC seminar on decentralisation and local governance European Commission EuropeAid 2-5 July 2012, Brussels The seminar reviewed the country context and the evolving international development framework and considered how to manage the political dimensions of decentralisation. It also looked at using decentralisation as a trigger to foster better development outcomes and governance and what all this means for future EU engagement in decentralisation and local governance. Jean Bossuyt, ECDPM, was the lead facilitator of this meeting. Alisa Herrero, ECDPM, was also one of the experts facilitating this seminar.

1. Session 1.5
Key findings from the
Thematic Evaluation of EC
support to decentralisation
EC advanced seminar on
support to decentralisation and local governance
Presentation by Jorge Rodriguez, DEVCO D2

2.  Period covered:
2000-2009;
 Desk phase (22
countries);
 Field visits (10
countries).

3. Coverage of selected country cases

4. If you want to know the details…
 Evaluation report;
 The minutes of the Seminar;
 Full length versions of some video
interviews
http://capacity4dev.ec.europa.eu/
article/perspectives-evaluation-ec-
support-decentralisation-processes

5. Evaluation questions

6. Conclusions & Recommendations

7. Policy Framework
• EU policy framework developed in a • Clarify and strengthen the EU’s
positive manner but needs to underpin the global role in support to
framework with operational guidelines and decentralisation by clearly anchoring
strategic interventions that plainly embed that support within partner countries’
support for decentralization within wider public sector reform agenda,
broader public sector reform by acting proactively, and by clarifying
approaches. the comparative advantages of the
EU.
• The EU has a unique but unrealised
potential for global support to • Develop and disseminate operational
decentralisation, working locally, guidance (Fiscal decentralization,
worldwide, supporting international Political economy…)
networks and building on global
experiences.

8. Response to specific country context
• Alignment of EC support with partners • Deepen country analyses – including of the
countries policies and priorities; “politics of reform”;
• the EC has not yet gained sufficient insight • Deepen country dialogue beyond the
into the “politics of reform”; relevant lead ministry;
• The EC has been most successful in countries • Strengthen capacities of local actors to
at the very initial stages of reform processes; analyse and influence reform processes
• EC support for decentralisation reforms has • Encourage partner countries efforts for
contributed to improved local service delivery comprehensive reform strategies;
but less to improvements in the quality of • Identify relevant entry points for country
services; EC support:
• The EC has been relatively active in supporting • Strengthen qualitative aspects of local
institutional arrangements for decentralisation government service delivery in EU support
reform support co-ordination. However, these for decentralisation reforms
are yet to be fully partner-led.

9. Strategic focus
• EC support for decentralisation has been most successful • Prioritise EU support for IGFT and LG fiscal
when provided through national joint government-DP reforms.
assisted programmes • Strengthen efforts for donor harmonisation
• EC support through GBS and to various sectors (e.g. health, in support of decentralisation in partner
education) is supporting wider decentralisation reforms in countries and globally.
only a very limited way • Strengthen partner countries’ monitoring of
• EC support for decentralisation reforms typically target only decentralisation reforms:
selected areas of reform, yet it is important to ensure that all • Policy progress:
relevant areas of the decentralisation reform agenda • Capacities at LG level:
progress in a balanced way • Service delivery results;
• EC support for the bottom-up demand for accountability has • Governance outcomes: citizen
rarely been linked with wider systemic decentralisation participation, accountability
reforms; transparency,, etc.
• Reforms of Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer (IGFT) • Use of peer review mechanisms and
systems have, in general, proved successful entry points support relevant international databases
both for systemic reform of how LGs are financed and as
ways of capacity building and supporting immediate
improvements of LG services.

10. Operational management
• EC specialist expertise in • Strengthen EU staff
decentralisation reform is very expertise on
low compared to expertise in decentralisation reforms.
other development • Strengthen EU
organisations; monitoring and
• EC’s monitoring of its support evaluation of
for decentralisation has been decentralisation support.
weak.

11. Follow up…….
 Context has changed Shift towards a
more POLITICAL APPROACH TO
DEVELOPMENT;
 DG DEVCO, merging Europe Aid and DG
DEV to ensure :
 quality in the delivery of cooperation policies
and programmes;
 policy-making responds better to field
realities, and that ambitious EU policies are
effectively implemented in the field

12. Context has changed (3)…..
Accra, Busan, Shift towards a more
Agenda for POLITICAL APPROACH
Change… TO DEVELOPMENT
Underpin Donor interventions by solid and on-going
context analysis of the Political economy of partner's
countries;
CHALLENGES Use PEA insights to navigate trough implementation;
Policy Dialogue: Tool to ensure country ownership &
domestic accountability
Diving in
unclear waters?

13. DEVCO D2 Unit: Connecting Policy Making-Quality
Support and Management of thematic line
Objective: Objective:
Ensure follow up & Translate Busan &
feed international AfC principles into
donor debates practice in day-to-
regarding LA: day work of EUDs:
• Coordination Policy Formulation Quality Support • Support to
activities with MS decentralization;
and international • Integration of
donors; decentralization as
• Strategic relations a mainstreamed
with competent issue in sector/BS
DEVCO Units; support operations
• Communication on Local Authorities
LA
Objective:
Strategic relations & support with/to LA & ALA:
• Management thematic line;
• Policy Forum;
• Decentralized cooperation…

14. Thank you!