Abstract:
Public reform in developing countries shows characteristics of inefficiencies,
lack of political will and public funds. Globalisation has shaped concepts of
economic growth and determined perceptions of governance. Worldwide,
governments have become preoccupied with “implementation”, performance
and how to apply the principles of good governance. Good governance is
defined as the betterment of the quality of life of each citizen. Decentralisation
is regarded as an indispensable element of participative democracy, as it
allows citizens to communicate their preferences to elected officials. Political
decentralisation refers to shifting power by selecting political leadership and
representatives, from central to local governments. This transfers the power and
authority (vertical decentralisation) for socio-politico-economic divisions from
central to local government and to communities (horizontal decentralisation).
Economic decentralisation becomes the mechanism for financing government
expenditure (tax structures) and supplying goods and services in a collective
way within a decentralised system. Establishing an institutional framework
that promotes decentralisation within a flexible, integrative, innovative
and dynamic modern delivery model and that clusters services together in
a seamless bureaucratic environment is therefore a key challenge. Ensuring
“better government” by implementing a seamless approach implies a
common vision and delivery strategy, organisational change, co-operation
and collaboration between partners and interacting networks.
