Decentralisation and Local Government Innovation in Providing Urban Services for the Poor in South and South-east Asia
Ghosh, A.; Kamath, L.
Space and Polity 16(1): 49-71
2012
ISSN/ISBN: 1356-2576 DOI: 10.1080/13562576.2012.698134Document Number: 213718
Advocates of decentralisation often assert that, through an efficient division of labour, decentralisation can improve governance, especially the delivery of goods and services. However, arguments for decentralisation typically focus on the formal provision of services by sub-national government agencies that do not cater to the poor, particularly in developing countries, since the poor often do not have access to formal land and services. When national and local governments fail to provide urban services to the poor, other intermediaries (quasi-formal and informal institutions) step in to provide and mediate access to these services. These intermediaries have been found to offer more accessible, but often, less affordable and/or reliable services. This paper draws on new empirical and analytical insights to understand the role that local governments play in bridging the formal informal service delivery gap, focusing, in particular, on whether stronger policies for decentralisation lead to more innovati.