decentralisation

Decentralisation is the transfer of authority, responsibilities, and resources from a central authority to local or regional levels. It describes the distribution of decision-making away from a central government toward subnational units and can occur within unitary or federal systems. It is distinct from delegation (temporary task assignment) and from centralisation (power concentration).

Administrative decentralisation includes deconcentration (shifting tasks to regional offices while central departments retain control), delegation (transferring functions to semi-autonomous agencies), and devolution (granting legally recognised powers to local bodies). Fiscal decentralisation concerns local revenue and expenditure powers, while political decentralisation expands local elections and citizen participation.

Implementation relies on a legal framework, capacity-building, intergovernmental relations, and funding mechanisms. Tools include intergovernmental grants, tax-sharing arrangements, and autonomous budgeting, with accountability, auditing, and performance monitoring.

Benefits can include policy responsiveness, local tailoring of public services, innovation, and greater accountability. Drawbacks include uneven capacity, coordination challenges, duplication of effort, fragmentation, and fiscal imbalances or competition between jurisdictions.

Examples appear worldwide. The United Kingdom has devolution to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland; Germany operates a federal system with substantial state powers; Spain and Italy have autonomous regions with varying authority. In developing countries, decentralisation reforms aim to improve governance and service delivery, with mixed results.

Overall, decentralisation seeks local autonomy balanced with national coherence, requiring strong institutions, capacity-building, and clear accountability to avoid governance gaps.