Popular participation & decentralization in Africa

Abstract

The task for this report is to provide a systematic look at the paradigm that links the reinforcing forces of decentralization (Section II) and participation (Section III). Section II begins by addressing several questions: What does one mean by decentralization? Why is it occurring not only in Africa, but also globally? Does it make a difference for a society to decentralize? And, if it does make a difference, why does popular participation matter? The discussion then proceeds to Section III, which first takes one into the labyrinth of how participation serves as the platform for broader discussions of accountability mechanisms, including the role of traditional authorities, and then proceeds to lay out the nature and importance of accountability organizations and institutions to the successful implementation of decentralized governance. Concluding comments are presented in Section IV.