Decentralization and Local Governance in Fragile Contexts Seth Kaplan 02.01.2019

The big picture Sources of fragility (societal fragmentation and lack of institutionalization) Change in balance of power between state and non-state actors Why transitions are much harder now than in the past Why institution building works better than state building 02.01.2019

Advantages Highly rated as a tool to manage conflict in socially fragmented countries Greater legitimacy of the state; produces fewer grievances and less polarization More scope to leverage social cohesion (if greater locally than nationally) More scope to leverage institutions that already work (work with the grain; go hybrid) 02.01.2019

Advantages cont. Formal institutions more likely to extend across territory Potentially more accountability of political leaders 02.01.2019

Disadvantages Same problems that exist nationally can exist locally (social fragmentation, state capture, corruption, etc.) If economy weak, a lack of local revenue source Potential for regional imbalances Need to strengthen institutions in more places Potential to encourage secessionism 02.01.2019

Conclusions Understanding context very important to any strategy; need to move away from templates (importance of assessments) Decentralization can help in many places, but implementation formula (e.g., mix between central and local institutions) needs to vary across contexts More likely to succeed when local groups are already cohesive 02.01.2019

Conclusions cont. Ideally, efforts to help local institutions needs to be done in parallel with national institutions so they work together in a virtuous cycle Efforts to work on local institutions need to build in processes that can counter the disadvantages (e.g., strengthen accountability mechanisms when these are weak; seek ways to handle issues such as migration that disrupts cohesion locally) 02.01.2019

Conclusions cont. Local institutions may be better entry points than national in some cases (e.g., Nigeria, Libya) Efforts need to be sustained over long time horizon yet balance short, medium, and long term goals 02.01.2019

The role of non-state actors In some cases, these will be more capable than state actors; in such cases, work with Need to find inexpensive ways to catalyze local efforts, but without necessarily having blueprints determining end results Need to be flexible; set minimum standards for performance around ideas such as inclusiveness, justice, and delivery of goods, not liberal ideas such as electoral politics; use carrots and sticks where possible 02.01.2019

The role of non-state actors cont. Need to bring in 3D at times (diplomacy, defense, development) to assist; conflict management, security; economic opportunity In some cases, hybrid institutions that leverage best working local institutions in local governance offer the best way forward Relationship between the state and various actors can be fluid; policies need to take into account the changing dynamic 02.01.2019

The role of non-state actors cont. All of this points to the need for much more sustained investment in local knowledge and mechanisms to ensure this is fed back into policy decisions 02.01.2019