The Political Economy of Decentralization in Sub-Saharan Africa
A New Implementation Model in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya and Senegal
Bernard Dafflon and Thierry Madiès, Editors

For the past two decades, experiments in decentralization and federalization have been developing mainly in Africa. This book offers a new policy-oriented implementation model, applied systematically in parallel in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal. It studies the individual countries and compares similar issues based on the same blueprint. The analysis is not intended to assess whether the chosen decentralization model is the right one, which does not exist. Rather, it examines decentralization achievements in specific national settings and compares those achievements with the announced objectives. The divergences revealed enable decision makers to choose appropriate directions for country reform.

This method does not transpose textbook solutions to the states. The reference framework offers an analytical approach contextualized to each country that integrates not only economic arguments, but also sociopolitical ones. The authors propose an analytical guide founded on political and institutional economy. They analyze decentralized policies that help stakeholders to identify the issues, point out stumbling blocks, and ensure coherent decisions on decentralization.

The book is an asset to all those involved in negotiating and implementing approaches to decentralization.

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  • The collection

    The Focales collection was launched in 2010 by AFD’s Research Department. It aims to give accounts of the field experiences of AFD or its partners (experts, researchers, consultants, practitioners…) in developing countries.

    The publications in this collection describe practical case studies (projects, experiments, partnerships…) and put them into perspective. They may also present reflection on a sectoral or geographical issue which is always supported by concrete results. They are intended to cover all the sectors and fields of action of AFD.

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Last update in December 2010