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11. Assets and sources of income of municipal councillors in Poland – analysis of asset declarations against the risk of corruption

Author:
Marcin Czyżniewski
Publication Date:
12-2024
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Nowa Polityka Wschodnia
Institution:
Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
Abstract:
Municipal councillors in Poland are required to submit annual asset declarations. It’s a part of the transparency of public life, declarations make it possible to determine whether a councillor’s assets are justified by his or her income and whether the income itself comes from legal and ethical sources. This article analyses 1,500 asset declarations submitted in 2024 to determine whether general conclusions can be drawn from publicly available declarations indicating corrupt situations or the risk of such situations. The subject of the analysis is whether the assets of municipal councillors in Poland are clearly higher than average, whether councillors derive income from sources that may indicate a conflict of interest or corruption, including political corruption, whether councillors have above-average financial liabilities, including with individuals? The asset declarations examined indicate the existence of risks of corrupt situations, but their analysis does not show them to be of wider scope. On its basis, it is not possible to advance the thesis that holding a mandate as a municipal councillor in Poland is associated with income that could be considered suspicious, nor with above-average assets.
Topic:
Corruption, Transparency, Income, and Local Government
Political Geography:
Europe and Poland

12. LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT, COMMUNITY, AND SOCIAL SERVICE DELIVERY IN KOSOVO

Author:
Ferdi Kamberi and Zeqir Hashani
Publication Date:
07-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Journal of Liberty and International Affairs
Institution:
Institute for Research and European Studies (IRES)
Abstract:
Community development is vital in networking and creating social capital. Local governments in Kosovo cooperate closely with their communities by offering public and social services, inclusivity, and social integration. This cooperation increases active citizenship, community development, social welfare, and local democracy. This paper aims to research and analyze the relationship between local governments and their communities, focusing on providing social services. The applied methodology included a quantitative survey of 300 respondents from three municipalities: Pristina, Fushe Kosove, and Obilic, targeting citizens aged 18 and above of both genders. The results show that local authorities in these municipalities offer community services and include their communities in policy-making and decision-making. While they also offer social services, community-based services should be restructured, and local authorities should pay more attention to empowering the community more comprehensively.
Topic:
Social Services, Community, Service Delivery, and Local Government
Political Geography:
Eastern Europe and Kosovo

13. Cooperative Federalism in India: Institutions of Political Migration: The Office of the Governor

Author:
Chakshu Roy and M. R. Madhavan
Publication Date:
02-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for Policy Research, India
Abstract:
Governors occupy a critical position in India’s constitutional framework as a critical mechanism through which tensions between the central and state governments can be negotiated and managed. In fact, their powers have grown over time as other institutions intended to foster centre-state cooperation and coordination have atrophied. This chapter documents the de jure powers and de facto workings of the office of the Governor since Independence in 1947. It reveals the continuing contestation over Governors’ independent decision-making, a matter which has been debated since the time of the Constituent Assembly. The unresolved matter of how Governors can independently exercise their discretion without acting, or being seeing to act, merely as instruments of the centre remains a vexed issue in the contemporary era.
Topic:
Migration, Institutions, Local Government, and Cooperative Federalism
Political Geography:
South Asia and India

14. Making It Work: Institutionalising Social Audits in Meghalaya in India

Author:
Rajika Seth, Sidharth Santhosh, Avani Kapur, Neeha Susan Jacob, and Pritika Malhotra
Publication Date:
04-2023
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Centre for Policy Research, India
Abstract:
In April 2017, Meghalaya enacted the Meghalaya Community Participation and Public Services Social Audit Act, 2017. The Meghalaya Society for Social Audit and Transparency (MSSAT) is responsible for implementing the Act. This legislation is the first of its kind in the country. This policy note aims to unpack how social audits have been institutionalised in Meghalaya. By identifying strategic action that the State government took to pass the Act, the policy note presents reflections on the current state of affairs on social audits. It thus identifies core areas that the State government and the social audit unit can strengthen to ensure that efficient audits are conducted, thereby meeting the Act’s objectives.
Topic:
Domestic Policy, Public Service, Audit, and Local Government
Political Geography:
South Asia and India

15. Rewarding allegiance: Political alignment and fiscal outcomes in local government

Author:
Christa N. Brunnschweiler and Samuel K. Obeng
Publication Date:
07-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Nottingham Interdisciplinary Centre for Economic and Political Research (NICEP)
Abstract:
We examine how local governments’ political alignment with central government affects subnational fiscal outcomes. In theory, alignment could be rewarded for example with more intergovernmental transfers, or swing voters in unaligned constituencies could be targeted instead. We analyze data from Ghana, which has a complex decentralized system that seeks to preclude political alignment effects. District Chief Executives (DCEs) are centrally appointed local administrators loyal to the ruling party, while district Members of Parliament (MPs) may belong to another party. A formula for central transfer distribution aims to limit the influence of party politics. Using a new dataset for 1994-2018 and a close election regression discontinuity design we find that despite this system, there is evidence of politically-motivated local fiscal outcomes. Aligned districts receive lower transfers and have lower district expenditure and internally generated funds, indicating swing-voter targeting. Results suggest that district fragmentations have weakened these effects. We also show strong electoral cycle effects, with mid-term peaks in fiscal outcomes.
Topic:
Elections, Fiscal Policy, Decentralization, and Local Government
Political Geography:
Africa and Ghana

16. Beyond Compliance: A Performance Assessment of Statutory Boards and Commissions in Uganda’s Local Governments FY 2021/2022

Author:
Arthur Bainomugisha, Wilson Winstons Muhwezi, Walter Akena, Jonas Mbabazi, and Rebecca N. Mukwaya
Publication Date:
01-2023
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE)
Abstract:
This report presents findings from the first assessment of Statutory Boards and Commissions comprising the District Service Commissions (DSC), District Land Boards (DLB), and LG Public Accounts Committees (LGPAC) in 26 District Local Governments. This cutting-edge Assessment was the first of its kind and provided a ground-breaking opportunity to examine these important structures designed to provide regulation, oversight and additional citizen representation and voice, within the ambit of Uganda’s Decentralisation Policy. The report offers interesting and intriguing insights into the operations of the Statutory Boards and Commissions which point to an urgent need to revitalise and strengthen them as critical pillars of Local Governance in Uganda. Uganda’s Decentralisation Policy devolved powers to the Local Governments. These powers rest on three key pillars, namely the Local Council (including the Executive), the Technical Staff and the Statutory Bodies. As such, Uganda’s Decentralisation Policy is both a political and a technical process. At the political level it involves leadership, participation, inclusion, representation, decision-making, and power relations between Central and Local Governments, and between Higher and Lower Local Governments. On the technical level, it involves administration, planning, budgeting, financial management, human resources management and development, monitoring and evaluation, supervision and mentoring. Thus, the success of Decentralisation is highly contingent on the careful and effective synchronization of political and technical elements and functions. At the commencement of the decentralisation policy, the government, through several legal instruments, created an elaborate institutional framework for support and oversight at the local government level. These institutions include the District Service Commission, District Land Board, Local Government Public Accounts Committees, and the District Tender Boards (now contracts committee) which later morphed into the District Contracts Committees (Mushemeza, 2019). The assessment of these statutory boards and commissions was underpinned by a series of ACODE’s scorecard findings that consistently revealed that the functionality of committees and statutory boards and commissions have a bearing on the general performance of district local government councils and subsequently the quality-of-service delivery in local governments. Furthermore, a number of studies indicated structural and operational gaps in the functionality of various accountability organs at the Local Government level1 . Given the importance of this tripartite relationship highlighted above, the functionality and strength of the Statutory Boards and Commissions is an important yardstick and litmus test for the overall functionality of a given Local Government. It is against this background that the assessment sought to examine the performance of the statutory boards and commissions. Specifically, the assessment sought to; (i) Explore the extent to which statutory boards and commissions have complied with their roles and responsibilities; (ii) Analyse how statutory boards and commissions are accountable to council and citizens; and (iii) Explore key issues impeding and or facilitating Statutory Boards and Commissions in delivering on their statutory roles and responsibilities and make appropriate recommendations. The assessment largely drew from the methodology of the Local Government Scorecard Assessment (Tumushabe, Mushemeza, Tamale, Lukwago, & Ssemakula, 2010). The assessment is further grounded in rigorous methodological approaches that adhere to scientific rigour. This assessment focused on FY 2021/2022 and was carried out in the 26 districts of Agago, Amuria, Amuru, Arua, Buliisa, Hoima, Gulu, Jinja, Kanungu, Kabarole, Kamuli, Lira, Luwero, Mbale, Mbarara, Moroto, Mpigi, Mukono, Nakapiripirit, Nebbi, Ntungamo, Rukungiri, Sheema, Soroti, Tororo and Wakiso. The overall finding of the Assessment was that the Statutory Boards and Commissions exist at the Local Government level and are attempting to discharge their duties and functions, in spite of the stiff challenges that their face. Notwithstanding their regulatory import and function, their role as an added citizen representation and voice, the Statutory Bodies were noted to have declining visibility and significance – across all the 26 districts assessed. Different Boards and Commissions in the different districts exhibit varying levels of resilience and functionality. Overall, there seemed to be a general “neglect” of the Statutory Bodies, across the Board.
Topic:
Regulation, Decentralization, Compliance, Assessment, and Local Government
Political Geography:
Uganda and Africa

17. Analysis of the Implementation of Auditor General’s Recommendations in Local Governments to Enhance Accountability

Author:
David Andrew Omona, Isaac Katono, Jeremy Waiswa, Maurice Olobo, Alfred Wonyaka, and Simon Peter Mukisa
Publication Date:
01-2023
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE)
Abstract:
This research paper presents the findings of the study on the status of implementation of the Auditor General’s (AG’s) recommendations in Local Governments (LGs) in Uganda. In implementing their mandates, local governments are expected to ensure compliance with existing laws and guidelines. As such, the Local Governments, through the National Performance Assessments conducted by the Office of the Prime Minister, are assessed on their level of compliance and accountability. The findings noted that contrary to the other requirements beyond the timely submission of information to the Permanent Secretary/ Secretary to the Treasury, the status of implementation of the Internal Auditor General and the Auditor General’s findings from the previous financial years remains a challenge for most Local Governments. It is on this basis that this study was conceptualised. The main objective of the study was to analyse the level of implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations in local governments to enhance accountability. Specifically, the study sought to: (a) Establish the status of implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations in selected districts, (b) Establish the status of Action on Parliament’s resolutions on District Local Governments (DLGs), Auditor General’s recommendations, (c) Examine challenges that affect the implementations of the Auditor General’s recommendations at District Local Governments and Parliament levels and (d) Make proposals to improve on the level of implementation and enforcement of the Auditor General’s recommendations. The study has important implications for promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance in local governments in Uganda.
Topic:
Governance, Transparency, Compliance, Local Government, and Implementation
Political Geography:
Uganda and Africa

18. Analysis of the National Budget Estimates FY 2023/24: Budget Lines for Local Government Mandates under Central Government MDAs and Proposals for Re-Allocation

Author:
Daniel Lukwago
Publication Date:
01-2023
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE)
Abstract:
To enable Local Governments (LGs) to provide services to the citizens, the Central Government (CG) of Uganda is required to provide them grants in the form of unconditional, conditional and equalisation. However, over the last decade, there has been a decline in the share of transfers from CG to LGs. The share of the national budget allocated to LG programmes has reduced from 22 per cent in FY 2010/11 to 13 per cent in FY 2015/16 and fell further to 9.8 per cent in FY 2023/14. The decline is largely attributed to recentralization of functions and resources which by law are mandated under LGs. A study by ACODE in 2020, which was a follow-up study, found that despite recommendations of the 2019 study, the allocation of funds meant for LGs to Central Government Ministries Departments and Agencies n(MDAs) had not only persisted, but the absolute amounts as well as the proportion of the budget being retained at the CG had increased. The total amount retained at CG MDAs had grown to UGX 1.32 trillion in FY2020/21 from UGX 1.066 trillion in FY 2019/20. Consequently, with funding from the Royal Danish Embassy (RDE), ACODE commissioned this follow-up study to examine the approved national budget estimates for FY 2023/24 to identify budget lines for devolved services under CG MDAs. The study extensively reviewed all relevant budget documents, focusing mainly on the approved estimates of revenue and expenditure (recurrent and development) FY 2023/24. The study analysed ten programmes with decentralised functions as prescribed in the Local Government Act, CAP 243 (second Schedule) and identified funds retained by the CG MDAs, yet they are mandated for LGs. The programmes analysed were Agro-Industralisation; Natural Resources, Environment, Climate Change, Land and Water Management; Private Sector Development; Integrated Transport Infrastructure and Services; Sustainable Urbanization and Housing; Human Capital Development, Community Mobilization and Mindset Change Regional Development; Public Sector Transformation and Tourism Development.
Topic:
Budget, Decentralization, Assessment, and Local Government
Political Geography:
Uganda and Africa

19. Does local infrastructure determine trust in local government councils?

Author:
Thomas Isbell, Wilfried Youmbi, and Daniel Kofi Banini
Publication Date:
05-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Afrobarometer
Abstract:
The relationship between infrastructure and trust in local government is under-researched yet relevant for many countries. This paper examines how proximity to local infrastructure relates to public trust in local governments. Using data from the sixth round of the Afrobarometer survey in Cameroon, we construct an infrastructure indicator index to measure respondents’ proximity to local infrastructure. The index considers whether the respondent lives in a primary sampling unit (PSU) with access to electricity, water, cell phone service, and a sewerage system. It also takes into account whether the respondent lives in a PSU with paved roads where a school, police station, and health centre are within walking distance. We examine causality by using the presence or absence of a bank in the respondent’s PSU as an instrumental variable for local infrastructure. The study shows a robust positive and statistically significant relationship between proximity to infrastructure and public trust in local government. The results suggest that Cameroonians’ willingness to reward infrastructure in their neighbourhoods by trusting their government officials who might provide these facilities is indicative of a desire for bottom-up political accountability in the absence of citizens’ ability to hold top government officials accountable due to limited levels of democracy. Infrastructure provision and its variations have become an important measure of government performance, with communities that have better access to infrastructure conditions expressing greater trust in local government officials.
Topic:
Infrastructure, Institutions, Trust, Energy, and Local Government
Political Geography:
Africa and Cameroon

20. Analysis of the Implementation of Auditor General's Recommendations in Local Governments to Enhance Accountability

Author:
David Andrew Omona, Isaac Katono, Jeremy Waiswa, Maurice Olobo, Alfred Wonyaka, and Simon Peter Mukisa
Publication Date:
12-2023
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE)
Abstract:
This research paper presents the findings of the study on the status of implementation of the Auditor General’s (AG’s) recommendations in Local Governments (LGs) in Uganda. In implementing their mandates, local governments are expected to ensure compliance with existing laws and guidelines. As such, the Local Governments, through the National Performance Assessments conducted by the Office of the Prime Minister, are assessed on their level of compliance and accountability. The findings noted that contrary to the other requirements beyond the timely submission of information to the Permanent Secretary/ Secretary to the Treasury, the status of implementation of the Internal Auditor General and the Auditor General’s findings from the previous financial years remains a challenge for most Local Governments. It is on this basis that this study was conceptualised. The main objective of the study was to analyse the level of implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations in local governments to enhance accountability. Specifically, the study sought to: (a) Establish the status of implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations in selected districts, (b) Establish the status of Action on Parliament’s resolutions on District Local Governments (DLGs), Auditor General’s recommendations, (c) Examine challenges that affect the implementations of the Auditor General’s recommendations at District Local Governments and Parliament levels and (d) Make proposals to improve on the level of implementation and enforcement of the Auditor General’s recommendations. The study has important implications for promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance in local governments in Uganda. The methodology used in the study was generally qualitative in nature. Districts, Ministries Departments and Agencies were selected using maximum variation sampling, and the persons therein were selected using a purposive sampling strategy. Data was collected using document analysis, interviews, and focus group discussions with people at the entities under study. The data collected was analysed through examination, transcription, editing, and analysis of the qualitative data obtained from the field and facilitated by Atlas ti. Software and content analysis enabled a deeper exploration of the themes and narratives emerging from these qualitative data sources. In addition, the study was limited to 16 districts, including Amuria, Amuru, Arua, Gulu, Hoima, Kabarole, Kabale, Kaliro, Lira, Luwero, Mbarara, Moroto, Mukono, Sheema, Tororo, Wakiso, and select Ministries Departments and Agencies.
Topic:
Governance, Accountability, Transparency, Compliance, Local Government, and Implementation
Political Geography:
Uganda and Africa