International Conference on Decentralization and its Discontents: Recalibrating Public Service Delivery in Asia

From Wikiprogress.org

This Conference explored the decentralization-centralization dynamics in Asia and beyond with the purpose of assessing the current situation and developing workable ("best practices") arrangements for partnerships. Papers highlighted the ways in which the relationship between central and local governments is being redefined and recalibrated to more effectively deliver public services. The papers not only described and evaluated decentralization efforts and how they are being modified in sectors such as education, health care, housing, irrigation, transportation, and energy, but also situated the discussion within the larger theoretical context of public management and administrative reforms. Issues which were particularly relevant to the conference included identifying the preconditions for successful collaborative governance, the new challenges to implementation capacity posed by decentralization and de-concentration, and the manner in which policy innovations diffuse through policy learning and transfer.