That decentralisation be defined and understood to mean the legislated transfer of functions and authority from central government to local authorities such as the. A comparative assessment from comanagement and campfire and implications for policy mapedza, everisto 1 1 international water management institute iwmi, nile basin and east africa office, co ilri campus, addis ababa, ethiopia abstract. Decentralisation of authority is a fundamental phase of delegation and the extent to which authority is. A policy analysis of devolution in zimbabwe nyamadzawo sibanda 212516702 submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of master of social science policy and development studies, in the school of social sciences in the college. Decentralisation is unlikely to prove a panacea for weak central government but decentralised government could do more to create an enabling framework for private sector provision of services previously provided by the state. In this context the national government has had the difficult task of attempting to redress past inequities without alienating the. The devolution of governmental powers and resources has always been a contested subject in zimbabwe, as it has been in many other countries. A critical analysis of decentralization in zimbabwe. Political, administrative, fiscal and market decentralization can also appear in different forms and combinations across countries, within countries and even within sectors.
When a part of the work is entrusted to others, it is known as delegation. A study of the impact of decentralization on access to service delivery approved by. Conyers 2003 posits that poverty reduction and local economic development are the major objectives of decentralisation in zimbabwe, adding that decentralisation has been considered as a means of. The general objective of local government reforms was to transform local government organizations into organs that are autonomous, strong and effective. The above quote drawn from a recent undp document underscores the need to develop a. We want to see the economy of zimbabwe transformed with sound money. Citizen participation and local democracy in zimbabwean. A critical analysis of decentralization in zimbabwe core. Zimbabwe is a unitary, democratic and sovereign republic. This is a contradiction, if one sees decentralisation as the opposite of centralisation. Educational decentralization and school governance in. The concept of decentralization is enshrined in the constitution of zimbabwe amendment no.
Several conditions must be met before the full benefits of decentralization can be reaped. The above quote drawn from a recent undp document underscores the need to develop a better understanding of the concept. Decentralisation in zimbabwe has been marked by a series of legislative. Decentralisation is the most common concept used in zimbabwe to describe the relations between the centre and the local communities. Goals, dimensions, myths and challenges paul smoke new york university, new york, usa summary decentralisation is a complex and often somewhat elusive phenomenon. The designations employed and the presentation of material. Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern africa in which african majority rule was achieved only in 1980. Decentralisation as a rural development strategy in zimbabwe. Decentralisation in zimbabwe has been marked by a series of legislative enactments, directives and. Addressing the challenges of decentralisation third party. Emerging debates about, and prospects for, devolution in zimbabwe. A policy dialogue local government in the current constitutional reform processes is aimed to deal decisively with local governments subjugation to the form and political orientation of the central government. The role of devolution in development 4 decentralisation.
Despite attempts by the mlg, the little sectoral decentralisation that has occurred has been on a piecemeal basis and without adequate. The role of local government in rural development issues jide ibietan abstract the central aim or focus of this paper is to highlight the role of local government being the closest tier of government to the grassroots in rural development. It stands for the establishment of new levels of government like the autonomous states in india or provinces in. Although decentralisation has been on the government of zimbabwes agenda since the early 1980s and there have been several structural reforms, little. Political decentralisation aims to give citizens or their elected representatives more power in public decisionmaking. Objectives for today introduction some theoretical concepts to centralize or not to centralize the case for decentralized procurement the case for centralized procurement. To develop the argument, the article is organized in five sections. Decentralization in health care edited by richard b. Decentralized planning in zimbabwe 111 documents published since 1980 including the 1982 19845 transitional national development plan, 1984 prime ministers directive and 198690 five year development plan. Its goal is to introduce more participatory forms of governance by giving citizens, or their representatives, more influence in the formulation and implementation of health policies and plans.
C choto ministry of health and child welfare, aids and tb unit, zimbabwe. In protected forest zones, collaborative resource management regimes have only recently been introduced. Agency for international development usaid for the period 20062011, helps usaidsupported countries address health system barriers to the use of. Notes to the concept of decentralization pdf paperity. The paper posits that the nigerian political arrangement. This concept, expressed asthe transfer of authority from the center to subordinate ends, is importantboth for more effective and productive management of the areas outside thecenter organization in public administration and for strengthening these areasin. Decentralization is transforming the local institutional infrastructure on which local forest management is based.
Decentralization of art to tb settings and its effect on art. Conyers 2003 posits that poverty reduction and local economic development are the major objectives of decentralisation in zimbabwe, adding that decentralisation has been considered as a. This article describes zimbabwes various decentralisation efforts and effects including fiscal decentralisation, sectoral decentralisation, local political and. Introduction the existence of local government has always been defended on the basis that it is a crucial aspect of the process of democratization and intensification of mass participation in the decisionmaking process. Pdf challenges of decentralization in malawi nelson. It argues that in a context where institutional capacity is weak, democratic institutions are fragile and resources are scarce, caution is needed. The concept of decentralization refers to decentralized, directed fromcenter to periphery, organized around and such. Political decentralization aims to give citizens or their elected representatives more power in public decisionmaking. Educational decentralization and school governance in south africa.
Our broader goal is simple we want to establish a decentralised currency that is fixed in supply but available to all zimbabweans. However, poverty varies by regions, countries, and by socioeconomic characteristics of households in one region. Decentralisation as a rural development strategy in. The goal is for trust to be restored in the money and banking system.
Section 2641 of the constitution provides for the devolution of power to local authorities and metropolitan councils where possible. Dual structures in the social, economic and political spheres are legacies of the racist settler regime. Saltman vaida bankauskaite karsten vrangbaek d e c e n t r a l i z a t i o n in h e a l t h c a r e edited by saltman bankauskaite vrangbaek decentralization in health care strategies and outcomes decentralization has become a popular management strategy in many european health care systems. These are health, education, agriculture, water and infrastructure. This article describes zimbabwe s various decentralisation efforts and effects including fiscal decentralisation, sectoral decentralisation, local political and institutional structures and local economic development and poverty reduction, and analyses their impact in binga district, which is one of the poorest parts of the country. Collaborative resource management is a variant of decentralization in.
A study of the impact of decentralization on access to. Three basic elements of decentralization are accountability, discretionary power, and security ribot. The views and opinions expressed in this booklet are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of unesco or of the iiep. Decentralisation in zimbabwe, a special reference to the. Decentralization in zimbabwes forest sector has been varied depending on the.
The history, tradition, development patterns of local government in zimbabwe is based on a belief that a responsive and responsible citizenry will maintain a vigorous, informed and continous participation in the processes of local government. Decentralisation refers to tire systematic effort to delegate. In a unitary state like zimbabwe decentralised planning can be viewed from two perspectives i. Centralization and decentralization corresponding author. Overview of the debate over the last few years the debate on decentralisation has focused on. Sectoral decentralisation there has been a great deal of talk about sectoral decentralisation in zimbabwe but very little actual decentralisation of meaningful powers has taken place. Zimbocash is a decentralised currency for zimbabwe. Decentralization or decentralisation see spelling differences is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those regarding planning and decision making, are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group. The objective of this introductory chapter is to explain the importance of agricultural services, the role that governments had assumed in their provision and the perceived need in the 1980s for institutional reform including a reduced role for central government in service provision. The dispersal of authority of decisionmaking to the lower level management is termed as decentralization. Decentralisation extends to the lowest level of the organisation. Poverty reduction, empowerment and participation, within the framework of the conference on engaging communities.
Decentralisation secretariat n the government through cabinet office decentralisation secretariat is developing systems to ensure effective nationwide supervision and coordination programme to facilitate smooth implementation of the decentralisation process in general and the circular no. Introduction the term centralization means concentration of authority at the top of the administrative system. This system, at least conceptually, is different from the centralized system of governance that existed previously. Jorge martinezvazquez advisor andrew young school of policy. Pdf the devolution debate and the new constitution of. It involves the transfer of decisionmaking power and accountability for results to individuals or operating units at.
The urban and rural district council acts have been. Decentralization of art to tb settings and its effect on art uptake and retention in zimbabwe dr r. Whether this is the most appropriate mode to capture these intricate relations is not the issue. Decentralisation can be viewed as an extension of delegation. On the one hand, and, on the other hand, decentralization means dispersal of authority among the lower levels of the. What is decentralization and explain its advantages and. Under a devolved system, it is expected that certain aspects of political, administrative. The devolution debate and the new constitution of zimbabwe. Decentralization in zimbabwe s forest sector has been varied depending on the tenurial status of the land on which the woodlands are found. Local government is a product of devolution as a dimension of decentralisation. First, the article provides a brief look at preindependence education in zimbabwe.
Decentralization holds a lot of promise, but whether it improves public service delivery depends on the institutional arrangements governing its implementation. The local government system in zimbabwe has experienced many changes and challenges during the colonial period and after independence in 1980. Here we see the coexistence of the two as inevitable because zimbabwe is a unitary state which defines the limits of decentralisation. Zimbabwe has achieved impressive strides in human development since independence, as reflected by improvements in such indicators as literacy, child mortality and life expectancy which stand well above regional averages see table 1. Constitutionalisation is thus seen as critical to entrenching local government. Decentralization outcomes in the context of political. A local perspective diana conyers independent consultant, uk summary although decentralisation has been on the government of zimbabwes agenda since the early 1980s and there have been several structural reforms, little effective power has been decentralised. This agenda would be attained through the decentralisation of power to local units. For political aspects, see key sheet 12 on decentralisation and political accountability. Introduction since the attainment of independence in zimbabwe in 1980, there has. The adoption of decentralisation as an option for development in postcolonial zimbabwe became an immediate option for national development. Background the attainment of independence by zimbabwe in 1980 ushered in a new government with a development ideology that was premised on the need to guarantee grassroots socioeconomic development.
Addressing the challenges of decentralisation an increasing trend towards decentralisation 6 simply stated, decentralisation is the dispersion or distribution of functions and powers. Access to services important for human development also compares favourably with countries of the region. Centralization and decentralization quest journals. Ii mission the health systems 2020 cooperative agreement, funded by the u. Emphasis was placed much on decentralised development planning as informed by decentralisation models borrowed from other socialistleaning countries such as tanzania, kenya, zambia and botswana.
426 1457 30 1515 97 752 947 691 1143 1400 20 384 185 1367 1511 1321 217 53 1470 359 1358 1007 486 1487 1463 21 474 668 243 565 1186 123 602 548