The decentralization experience in Africa: beyond donor-driven approaches

Under the auspices of the international donor community, decentralization has been pursued in the last couple of decades as a global mantra, albeit often with more attention to prescriptive models than political reality. This is particularly the case with Africa where donor-driven approaches have produced few sustainable outcomes because the context-specific situation in these countries has been ignored. This paper argues that the donors, in addition to failing to take the local context into consideration in their interventions, have been inclined to look at decentralization through the lens of a principal–agent model in which institutions have been treated as rules to be learned and adopted. With little to show for itself, this approach is increasingly under criticism in evaluations and research studies alike. The paper argues, in line with other recent studies, that time has come to rethink concepts and practices used to promote local governance in African countries. The political parameters of Official Development Assistance limit what can be achieved to realise the principles of the Paris Declaration and more creative approaches are needed to ensure that local governance in African countries is fostered in a democratic direction.