State of Local Democracy Assessment Framework

This guide is a revised and updated version of the 2002 State of Local Democracy (SoLD) assessment framework. It contains four parts: a general introduction to the SoLD assessment framework; a special focus on the SoLD assessment framework itself; the process of conducting an assessment; and a detailed version of the framework, including the assessment questions.

The framework is intended for use in assessing the quality of local democracy by looking at the functioning of the three fundamental pillars of local democracy: citizenship, equal rights and justice; representative and accountable institutions and processes; and citizen initiative and participation.

Key findings:

A general premise underlying the SoLD assessment framework is that it is a universal framework meant to assess the quality of democracy at the local level. The local level is the level closest to the citizens and the space where citizens experience the practice of democracy on a daily basis as they interact with democratic institutions and processes, try to earn a living and stay safe from harm, take care of their families and communities, and access basic services such as health care, housing and education. The framework is focused on the extent to which local democracy portrays and protects key democratic principles and values.

SoLD assessments work with a broad, inclusive interpretation of the term citizenship, and pose the question of how citizenship at the local level is defined and experienced, both in theory and in practice. This includes looking at the legal, social, economic and spatial dimensions of citizenship, and such complex issues as social or economic exclusion, racial discrimination or the existence of ethnic ghettos and identity-based conflicts.

The framework consists of an analysis of three focus areas or ‘pillars’: equal rights and access to justice; representative and accountable institutions and processes; and citizen initiative and participation. Citizenship is understood as a set of equal rights and liberties, complemented by equal access to justice, which are on the one hand bestowed and facilitated by representative and accountable institutions and processes, and on the other hand claimed and realized through the agency and actions of people themselves. Even though the pillars are inalienable from one another, the framework can always be adapted to the local context, meaning that teams can decide to focus more on one area than another depending on the prevailing needs and resource considerations.

The pillars necessitate integration of a number of cross-cutting issues by: incorporating a gender-sensitive assessment approach; drawing attention to social cohesion and diversity issues; recognizing challenges related to conflict and security at the local level; and considering the important link between democracy and development.

The assessment framework is a two-dimensional process, which combines research with inclusive dialogue and debate. Key steps and decisions to be taken in conducting assessment are: preparation, timing and partnership-building; assessment organization; assessment design and work plan; data collection and analysis; report writing and recommendations; validation workshops and report finalization; publication, dissemination, advocacy for reform; and evaluation and next steps.

Summary