Sylvia I. Bergh

Democratic decentralisation and local participation: a review of recent research

Introduction This review essay aims to present recent research on the relationships between democracy and decentralisation, with a focus on local participation and empowerment. Although an earlier wave of experiments with decentralisation in Africa and Asia in the 1950s and 1960s is considered to have largely failed (Crook and Manor 1998:1), these themes have received widespread attention in recent years, particularly since they form part of the discourse on ‘good governance’ promoted by many donor agencies and development institutions. The main argument emerging from the works under review in this essay is that more recognition should be given to the fact that ‘real’, i.e. democratic, decentralisation is inherently a political process. This would counterbalance the disproportionate attention paid to decentralisation’s administrative and fiscal aspects in the literature and in policy debates. These components of decentralisation are often framed as purely technical issues having to do with the redistribution of authority, responsibility, and financial resources for the provision of public services among different levels of government. While these issues are important, policy makers—and implementers—also need to take into account the wider political context (e.g. the electoral system, political economy, etc.) and social history of the country in question. This includes an assessment of the potential of civil society in each region or district, and how organised groups would respond to specific incentives or disincentives, as well as new power structures, created by decentralisation reforms. These incentives or disincentives and new power structures also determine the level and form of popular participation in local politics as well as the fate of developmental efforts. Moreover, donors and external development institutions need to be more conscious of the fact that the participatory methods and processes they promote often undermine the political process inherent in democratic decentralisation reforms. The works reviewed here also challenge the common assumption that decentralisation necessarily means a retreating central state.

'Inclusive' Neoliberalism, Local Governance Reforms and the Redeployment of State Power: The Case of the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH) in Morocco

This contribution uses the National Initiative for Human Development in Morocco as a case study to show the effects of ‘inclusive’ neoliberal local governance reforms on local state–society relations and the redeployment of state power. This initiative, launched by the king in 2005, is designed to improve socio-economic conditions in targeted poor areas through new participatory local governance mechanisms. The article argues, first, that these mechanisms in fact serve to strengthen the power of the appointed representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, especially at the province level, at the expense of local governments. Second, the findings show that by instrumentalizing local associations to access INDH funds, local councillors base their legitimacy increasingly on their renewed alliance with the king through the INDH and the clientelist relations it allows them to maintain, rather than on their status as political representatives. This contributes to the fragmentation and weakening of local (political) accountability.

Migration, Gender and Social Justice

Section I: Introduction - migration, gender and social justice: the research and policy agendas.- Section II: Transformation of social reproduction systems and migration: local-global interactions.- Section III: The state and female internal migration: Rights and livelihood security.- Section IV: Complexity of gender: embodiment and intersectionality.- Section V: Liminal legality, citizenship and migrant rights mobilization.- Section VI: Conclusion - the complexities of migration research-policy interactions.- Annex A - Portfolio of Migration Projects, 2006-2009 (21 May 2009).- Womens Rights and Citizenship Program.- Annex B - Profile of the Editors.

Assessing the Scope for Partnerships Between Local Governments and Community-Based Organizations: Findings from Rural Morocco

This paper examines whether in rural Morocco, local governments and community-based organizations have the capacity and incentives to engage in developmentally valuable partnerships. These partnerships could take the form of co-production arrangements or more political co-governance mechanisms. The fiscal, administrative and political dimensions of local government autonomy and capacity are discussed. The evidence on community-based organizations indicates that a high proportion of them lack the capacities and incentives to engage in partnerships with local governments. This is mainly due to their instrumentalization for clientelist and electioneering purposes by actors in “political society”, i.e. local councilors, party members, and civil servants.

Adapting the Capability Approach to Explain the Effects of Participatory Development Programs: Case Studies from India and Morocco

This paper attempts to explore the linkages between democracy, participation, and inequality. It does so by situating the role of ‘public scrutiny and debate’ in Sens work. It then draws on the literature on ‘deliberative democracy’ to show the linkages between requirements for (ideal, democratic) political participation and typologies of participation that have emerged in the development context. It finally links this discussion to concepts of power and inequality. Three case studies help to illustrate the use of this analytical framework. The Employment Guarantee Scheme case study from the Indian state of Maharashtra illustrates the effects of ‘participation for material incentives’ built on both ‘hidden’ and ‘invisible power’ structures. The Moroccan case study shows the potential for participatory approaches to deepen existing inequalities when certain pre‐conditions for participation are not fulfilled, leading to ‘hidden power’ domination. The Kerala case study is an example for political participation that is built on ‘visible’ power strategies. Hence, this paper attempts to contribute to the discussion on the intended and unintended effects of participatory schemes by developing and applying a more comprehensive analytical framework.

Constraints to strengthening public sector accountability through civil society: the case of Morocco

This paper discusses the extent to which civil society contributes to strengthening public sector accountability in Morocco. The main argument in this paper is that despite a few recent encouraging examples, civil societys role in strengthening public sector accountability remains limited at both the national and local levels. This is due to three main reasons. The first relates to certain characteristics of the Moroccan governance system, including the dominance of upward accountability mechanisms, given the unique position of the King. The second set of reasons refers to certain internal features of the Moroccan civil society. The third reason can be found in civil societys position with regard to its external environment, i.e., the nature of its relationships with the public sector in the form of both local governments and ministerial public administrations.

Traditional Village Councils, Modern Associations, and the Emergence of Hybrid Political Orders in Rural Morocco

This essay aims to emphasize the relevance and analytical usefulness of the concept of hybrid political orders with regard to a state and a society that is neither in a post-war nor peace-building situation. Rather, the case of rural Morocco illustrates how hybrid political orders emerge over time, in the context of post-colonial state-building in general, and in the context of decentralization reforms, the proliferation of participatory programs, and the growth of ‘‘civil society’’ in particular.

3 From Temporary Work in Agriculture to Irregular Status in Domestic Service: The Transition and Experiences of Senegalese Migrant Women in Spain

Amid increasing irregular flows of Senegalese migrants to Spanish territories, the two countries entered into a bilateral agreement in 2007 for a temporary work scheme that ultimately saw the migration of more than 700 Senegalese women for work in the agricultural sector in Spain. Due to a number of factors, including weaknesses in the recruitment process on the sending side and the nature of the work on the receiving side, many of the women subsequently abandoned their posts in search of domestic work or jobs in personal services in Spanish cities, thus transitioning to irregular status. Using data collected from 525 of these Senegalese migrant women, this chapter examines how they came to form this unintended cohort of unauthorized migrants and their experiences as they strive to live, work, and access various social rights in the context of the current Spanish labour market and economic crisis. Some measures are suggested to strengthen the management of future temporary work schemes and protect Senegalese women migrants in Spain.

The challenges of ‘participatory’ development in a semi-authoritarian context: the case of an essential oil distillation project in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco

Decentralisation implies that responsibilities for development planning and management are transferred from central governance levels to sub-national levels, including local governments. Decentralisation reforms assume that local peoples greater involvement in local decision-making will lead to more sustainable social and environmental development. Participatory rural techniques and approaches have been devised to support decentralisation reforms. This article presents the case of a multi-donor-funded ‘participatory’ essential oil distillation project in the High Atlas of Morocco. The project sought to respond to urgent issues around natural resource conservation, desertification, poverty alleviation, and out-migration of Berber communities towards urban areas. The article addresses the role that institutional partners and local authorities played in the implementation of the project. Based on extensive empirical fieldwork, the findings demonstrate that the approaches utilised by the Moroccan government to involve local communities are not adequately addressing local needs and suggest that there is little desire, nor the necessary capacity, to empower the local communities in the way that would be necessary to achieve effective economic development. Indeed, the project raised high expectations among the villagers but delivered few concrete results, benefiting mostly the local elite. This had a disengaging effect on the local communities. Another explanation for the ‘failure’ of the project is the clash between traditional and modern notions of ‘governance’ that it brought with it and that played out inside the communities. The article argues that participatory approaches should embrace the communitys customary norms, thus facilitating the establishment of endemic notions of good local ‘governance’ and negotiating local traditional practices at the community level.

Challenging Capacity Building: Comparative Perspectives

The editors of this volume are both based at Deakin University in Australia, where Kenny is the Director of the Centre for Citizenship, Development and Human Rights, and Clarke is the Deputy Head of the School of International and Political Studies. The book is aimed at an audience of development practitioners as well as academics, and its fairly accessible language means that it should reach a practitioner audience quite effectively. However, in geographic terms, all the case studies are from Asia, Australia, Ireland, the UK, and the USA, and thus the volume does not cover experiences of capacity building funded by huge inputs of aid in Africa and Latin America.