Abstract
In theory fragmentation: yields lower per capita service cost; decentralizes service delivery; promotes local democracy; and protects identity and community of interest. This article assessed whether prediction matched the Ghanaian fragmentation evidence. The paper’s findings are: poverty reduction is a more important performance indicator than the overemphasis on efficiency in public provision; procedures and opportunities for participation are inadequate and irregular; attention is on public expenditure assignments without due consideration for significant financial devolution; and the consequences of the politics of fragmentation have been ignored. The paper concludes that unless these minutiae are incorporated into fragmentation policy, achieving predicted outcomes will remain difficult.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 117-138 |
Number of pages | 22 |
Journal | Public Organization Review |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2016 |
Keywords
- Efficiency
- Fragmentation
- Ghana
- Local democracy
- Local government
- Politics of fragmentation