Devolution in Pakistan : An Assessment and Recommendations for Action
The Devolved Service Delivery Study (DSD) is the product of an agreement between the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the Department for International Development (the United Kingdom), in response to a request from the Government of Paki...
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| Format: | Institutional and Governance Review (IGR) |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
Washington, DC
2013
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2004/09/5152388/devolution-pakistan-assessment-recommendations-action-vol-1-3-main-report http://hdl.handle.net/10986/14373 |
| Summary: | The Devolved Service Delivery Study
(DSD) is the product of an agreement between the World Bank,
the Asian Development Bank, and the Department for
International Development (the United Kingdom), in response
to a request from the Government of Pakistan that the
agencies review progress toward improving service delivery
through decentralization. Pakistan's far-reaching
devolution initiative has been designed with three broad and
inter-related objectives in mind: To inject new blood into a
political system considered to be the domain of historically
entrenched interests; to provide positive measures enabling
marginalized citizens--women, workers, peasants-to access
formal politics; and to introduce a measure of stability
into a turbulent political scene by creating a stronger line
of accountability between new politicians and local
electorates. Underpinning the political strategy were other
technical objectives: improved delivery of social services;
better determination and enforcement of property and labor
rights and regulation of economic activities; and access to
justice in the form of improved performance by local
administrations, courts and police, with greater awareness
of basic human rights protected under devolution. Based on
an empirical study of 6 districts and 12 municipalities
(Tehsil Municipal Administrations) (TMAs), this paper
evaluates the extent to which the new structure has
succeeded in creating the incentives necessary for local
governments to achieve at least some of the service delivery
objectives. This report notes that remarkable progress has
been achieved. New local institutions with new structures
for local government, new arrangements for intergovernmental
sharing of resources, new electoral arrangements, new rules
for government formation and dismissal and new opportunities
for citizens to participate in the affairs of government
have all been created. At the same time as the devolution
initiative was being implemented, the government also
implemented significant reforms in tax, trade, deregulation
and privatization, the banking sector, anticorruption,
restructuring federal and provincial legislatures and
responding to gender concerns. |
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