Decentralization and local capacity
- Variable relationship:
According to a vast amount of research on local irrigation management transfers (Garces-Restrepo et al. 2007), decentralization (Centralization) is likely to fail if three conditions associated with local capacity are not fulfilled. These conditions include the lack of collective management experience at the local level (Past Collaboration), and the lack of enough finanancial and legal support from central goverments (External Support) in the intial stages of the decentralization process. A lack of managerial skills prevents users from being effective in self-organizing and from making appropriate decisions. External support is important in overcoming local managerial deficits.
- Project
- SESMAD
- Sector(s)
- Scientific Field
- Component Type(s)
- Local Resource User Group, Group of Local Resource User Groups, Local Government, Group of Local Governments
- Status
- Public
Variables
| Variable | Role | Role Explanation | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centralization | Proximate independent variable | The Degree of centralization decreases, as authority is transferred from a higher to a lower level of government | Highly to somewhat decentralized |
| Past collaboration | Moderating independent variable | Past collaboration with regard to resource use facilitates that local user groups effectively fully take on management once this is transferred to them | Low |
| External support | Moderating independent variable | Support from government of the decentralization process contributes to better transfer of knowledge and managerial skills and potentially overcome local deficits in those regards | No support |
| Commons condition trend | Final outcome | Local units without appropriate managerial skills are less likely to manage their resources appropriately than otherwise and run a higher risk of resource degradation | Worsened |
Related Theories
| Theory | Relationship | Characterizing Variables |
|---|---|---|
| Decentralization and leakage | related | |
| Political decentralization and fit | contradictory | |
| Decentralization and elite capture | related | |
| Centralized conservation | related | |
| Past collaboration and social capital | related | |
| Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) | contradictory |