Decentralization and Local Governance Training Course

This course equips participants with practical skills to understand and strengthen decentralization and local governance systems. It focuses on devolution models, local government functions, fiscal decentralization, planning, service delivery, accountability, and intergovernmental relations.

Target Groups

• County and local government officials
• National government decentralization officers
• Local planning and finance officers
• Elected local representatives and assembly members
• Civil society and governance advocates
• Development partner and donor staff
• Managers and supervisors seeking to strengthen organizational practice in this field
• Consultants and professionals supporting related organizations

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain concepts, models, and objectives of decentralization
• Analyze legal and institutional frameworks for devolved government
• Describe roles and functions of local government
• Understand fiscal decentralization and local revenue mobilization
• Apply participatory local planning and budgeting
• Strengthen local service delivery and performance
• Manage intergovernmental relations and coordination
• Strengthen local accountability and transparency
• Address capacity and political economy challenges
• Monitor and evaluate decentralization reforms

Course Modules

Module 1: Concepts and Models of Decentralization

• Deconcentration, delegation, and devolution
• Rationale and objectives
• Global experiences
• Benefits and risks
• Subsidiarity principle

Module 2: Legal and Institutional Frameworks

• Constitutional provisions
• Local government laws
• Institutional structures
• Assignment of functions
• Roles of national and local actors

Module 3: Local Government Functions and Governance

• Local government organization
• Councils and executives
• Staffing and human resources
• Local policy-making
• Leadership and ethics

Module 4: Fiscal Decentralization

• Expenditure assignment
• Intergovernmental transfers
• Local revenue sources
• Budgeting and financial management
• Debt and borrowing

Module 5: Participatory Local Planning and Budgeting

• Integrated local development planning
• Citizen participation
• Linking plans and budgets
• Prioritization
• Monitoring implementation

Module 6: Local Service Delivery

• Service delivery responsibilities
• Standards and performance
• Contracting and partnerships
• Service improvement tools
• Citizen satisfaction

Module 7: Intergovernmental Relations and Coordination

• Vertical and horizontal coordination
• Dispute resolution
• Shared functions
• Inter-county cooperation
• Coordination forums

Module 8: Accountability, Transparency, and Anti-Corruption

• Oversight institutions
• Access to information
• Audits and reporting
• Social accountability
• Integrity systems

Module 9: Capacity, Political Economy, and Reform Evaluation

• Capacity assessment and development
• Political economy of decentralization
• Reform sequencing
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Lessons learned

Module 10: Practical Exercises and Capstone Project

• Analyzing a decentralization framework in a case country
• Assessing local fiscal capacity
• Preparing a local planning and budgeting exercise
• Diagnosing service delivery gaps
• Presenting a local governance strengthening plan