Four years of the Ghana district assemblies in operation: Decentralization, democratization and administrative performance

Abstract

Ghana's District Assemblies were created in 1989 as ‘integrated’ decentralised authorities, combining oversight of deconcentrated line Ministries with the revenue powers and functions of devolved democratic local government. The frequently invoked but little studied relationships among democratisation, decentralisation and changes in the performance of government institutions are analysed on the basis of two case‐study Districts, defining performance as output effectiveness, responsiveness and process acceptability. Although development output did increase after democratisation, it remained inadequate and did not show any significantly closer responsiveness to popular needs. This was mainly because local accountability was undermined by continuing central control over staffing and finances, the clash with national policies of retrenchment and the continued power of central government agents. The communal, non‐party basis of representation also had a perverse effect on the ability of elected representatives to enhance the legitimacy of local taxation, particularly as the system embodied an unresolved contradiction between notions of community based self‐help and representative district government. One of the lessons of the Ghanaian experience is that genuine local autonomy in an agreed area‐the basic condition for effective accountability‐is better based on more modest, local‐level authorities, leaving larger, expensive functions as well as supervision of a deconcentrated civil service to more powerful regional administrations.

Deepening decentralisation through non-partisan district assembly system in Ghana

“…The one-third government appointed Assembly members were also likely to support the Chief Executive providing him with significant control over policy outcomes. This asse-Non-partisan district Assembly system... rtion conforms with the findings of other scholars regarding Ghana's decentralisation programme which is excessive dominance of national politicians in local government business (Abdulai and Crawford, 2010;Crawford, 2009;Crook, 1994).…”

The role of district capitals in regional development: Linking small towns, rural–urban linkages and decentralisation in Ghana

“…Decentralisation offers a more realistic way of solving local problems. This is because local policy-makers are more familiar with local problems and would be more likely to produce policies attuned to the needs of rural populations and the disadvantaged (Friedmann 1992;Crook 1994;Burki et al 1999;.…”

“…One such reason is the increasing decentralisation of resources, authority and responsibility from central to local levels in many developing countries, thus giving more attention to the needs and potential of each settlement and its region (Tacoli 2002;Pedersen 2003;Owusu 2004Owusu , 2005a. One argument popularly cited as justifying this strategy is that decentralisation offers a greater degree of responsiveness to local needs, and that local policy-makers, perceived as more familiar with local problems, would be more likely to produce policies attuned to the needs of local populations Crook 1994;Burki et al 1999;Yankson 2000aYankson , 2004Osmani 2001;Crook 2003).…”

Associational Life in African Cities: Popular Responses to the Urban Crisis

“…The district assemblies have ended up in a vicious circle in which they are unable to carry out development projects because they have little revenue, resulting in the local population losing interest and refusing to pay their local taxes (Crook, 1994;Ayee, 1995). The central government has not provided the district assemblies with sufficient funding partly due to pressure from the World Bank, through the Ministry of Finance, to keep down government expenditure as part of the structural adjustment programmes.…”

“…Decentralisation is generally seen as a way of improving urban management by reducing the size and power of the central state and improving the accountability of development planning and participation at the local level (Crook, 1994). It has long been a topic of discussion in African politics.…”