Thematic global evaluation of the Commission support to decentralisation processes

This Report presents the outcome of the “Thematic global evaluation of the Commission support to decentralisation processes”. The purpose of the evaluation was to identify relevant lessons and to provide recommendations to help ensure opportune and timely support to decentralisation processes.

The evaluation covers EC aid delivery over the period 2000-2009 (within the context of the programmes managed by DG DEVCO). The evaluation aims to assess to what extent the EC assistance has been relevant, coherent, effective, efficient and sustainable in providing the expected impacts in the support of decentralisation processes, along with the EU added value. Moreover, it aims to analyse the coherence with the relevant EU policies and the partner governments’ priorities and activities.

The evaluation has been conducted in four main phases, consisting of structuring, desk, field and synthesis work. Eight Evaluation Questions were formulated following a structured process based on the analysis of the EU policy framework and the reconstruction of the EC’s intervention logic related to support to decentralisation processes. For each Evaluation Question a number of Judgement Criteria and Indicators were defined to guide the data collection and analysis.

The study focused on 22 country cases during the desk phase and 10 country cases for the field phase. Overall, more than 4,000 documents and publications were screened and analysed. Interviews were held with more than 200 people ? either individually or in focus group discussions ? in Brussels and in the field visit countries.

Key findings:

During the period evaluated, EC support to decentralisation reforms was initiated with two main objectives in mind: to contribute to improved local governance (such as more democratic and accountable administrative structures, and increased citizen participation in governance); and to contribute to more effective and efficient delivery of local services. It is the conclusion of this evaluation that EC support has made important contributions to these broad objectives although very substantial challenges remain. Continued support for decentralisation reforms remain of utmost relevance – in particular, in poor and fragile countries, where efforts aimed at state building and public sector reforms are greatly needed.

EC support has been most effective in selected aspects of decentralisation reform ? in particular, development of decentralisation policies, development of intergovernmental fiscal transfer systems, strengthening capacities of local governments’ staff in areas of planning and public financial management, and in improving access to selected services in local governments. However, support has been less effective in achieving deeper legal reforms (in particular, for the harmonisation of sector legislation), decentralisation of human resource management, building of central government capacities for reform management, and increasing the degree of local government autonomy (other than the management of discretionary grants). It can also be observed that the EC support has had limited or no direct bearing on quality aspects of local services.

The EC’s value added has been particularly evident in its allocation of considerable financial resources in selected countries, where size of contributions has made a difference. However, value added has, in many countries, also been constrained by the limited technical expertise/human resources available both in EU Delegations and at headquarters.

Summary