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The sustainability of local governments—evidence from the online environment in the slovak republic.

1. Introduction

• Mutual information channels between management and staff, between the authority and the constituent organizations, between members and the authority, or between members and organizations are functioning and reliable;
• The staff of the authorities and the constituent organizations have sufficient arguments for various changes and decisions in the local government;
• Those in charge of communication can obtain the information they need on issues in local government and are able to respond to queries from stakeholders.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. research hypotheses and questions, 2.2. data collection and evaluation.

• Code/score of 0—information was not available or applicable;
• Code/score of 1—minimal information available showing only the minimal work with the indicator, insufficient level of status and work with indicator;
• Code/score of 2—information available, but the level of status is only satisfactory;
• Code/score of 3—basic information available, average level of status and work with indicator;
• Code/score of 4—more information available, above average level of status and work with indicator;
• Code/score of 5—maximum information available, great level of status and work with indicator, can serve as ‘best practice’.

3.1. Initial Analysis of Online Communication of Chosen Slovak Municipalities

3.2. work with strategic documents in the analyzed municipalities.

• The documents need to be searched extensively, are not available in the main parts of the website and do not have a uniform location;
• Municipalities often have outdated documents published and do not publish the current ones in a timely manner;
• Some municipalities did not have documents published at all, even though they were listed on website enviroportal.sk [ 41 ] and could be traced;
• The PESD document is intended for citizens, but can often be more difficult for this stakeholder group to understand;
• Municipalities do not use the communication versions of these documents with an emphasis on plans and working with sustainability;
• There is still little work with the concept of sustainability in the documents, although municipalities are making at least partial efforts to work with it in governance;
• Documents produced by external contractors were of a higher standard but did not sufficiently describe needs and issues;
• Municipalities made high use of joint development documents, which, although they had the highest level of work on sustainability, did not contain specific plans and objectives for the municipality, only for the region or association.

3.3. Informing Citizens Online

• Changes to the hours of the municipal office;
• Invitations to cultural and community events;
• News about events held;
• In smaller villages, information about market sales;
• Information on local services;
• Activities for groups of residents (children, pensioners);
• Thematic posts (Children’s Day, Easter, Christmas...);
• Various surveys in the towns;
• Information about job offers.
• The municipalities have published all the necessary forms, which can be printed out by the citizen at home, filled in and brought to the local authority signed in advance—rating 2.
• Municipalities have published online forms that can be filled in directly on the municipality’s website—rating 3.
• Municipalities have published fillable forms that can be submitted electronically and only the other necessary elements, including verification, can be completed in person—rating 4.
• There is no system or forms for citizens’ suggestions in the municipalities; they can only submit them in person or at the local council—rating 1.
• Contact information for staff is available and suggestions can be made directly to them or in person at the local authority—rating 2.
• There is a simple form for submitting complaints or suggestions via the website—evaluation 3.
• A sophisticated system for submitting complaints or suggestions is in place and regularly checked—evaluation 4.
• In addition to the above, the municipality informs about the organization of public meetings, encourages face-to-face meetings and public discussions, and involves citizens in the development of strategic documents—rating 5.

3.4. Sustainability Work and Evidence in the Online Space

• Joint cleaning of municipal green areas or cleaning of watercourses;
• Promoting community bazaars;
• Organizing clothing swaps;
• Organizing cultural events, preserving community traditions;
• Promoting education and organizing training activities in the field of sustainability.
• The Association of Towns and Municipalities of Slovakia [ 55 ];
• The Association of Towns and Municipalities of Upper Nitra [ 56 ];
• The Association of Municipalities of the Handlova Valley [ 57 ];
• The Association of Municipalities of the Rajec Valley [ 58 ];
• The Regional Association of Towns and Municipalities of Upper Povazie [ 59 ].

3.5. Hypothesis Validation

4. discussion, 4.1. analysis and comparison of other research.

• Capacity, in the sense of the ability of stakeholders to participate in the processes of local government governance, can be understood as the competence of those involved in governance, but also as the ability of the public to engage in governance.
• Mandate has an impact on the internal processes of the organization, being strongly based on elections and closely linked to the trust of citizens and employees of the authority in the actions of the person in charge.
• Resources—the availability of various resources such as time, budget, staff or information as a prerequisite for sustainable governance.
• Scope is understood more closely as the extent of action or the possibility to act at all, i.e., it is the legal and statutory definitions of the powers of the municipality and its governing person, which influence the municipality from outside.
• Will represents the constraints on action and management, the extent to which the governing person is able to turn ideas into actual solutions to problems.

4.2. Limitations of the Research

4.3. future research, 5. conclusions, author contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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Čičmancová, E.; Soviar, J. The Sustainability of Local Governments—Evidence from the Online Environment in the Slovak Republic. Sustainability 2024 , 16 , 7310. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177310

Čičmancová E, Soviar J. The Sustainability of Local Governments—Evidence from the Online Environment in the Slovak Republic. Sustainability . 2024; 16(17):7310. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177310

Čičmancová, Eliška, and Jakub Soviar. 2024. "The Sustainability of Local Governments—Evidence from the Online Environment in the Slovak Republic" Sustainability 16, no. 17: 7310. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177310

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• Open access
• Published: 03 July 2023

Research evidence use in local government-led public health interventions: a systematic review

• Jennifer L. Dam   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0088-1517 1 ,
• Phoebe Nagorka-Smith 2 ,
• Alex Waddell 3 ,
• Annemarie Wright 4 , 5 ,
• Joannette J. Bos 1 &
• Peter Bragge 1  

Health Research Policy and Systems volume  21 , Article number:  67 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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Local governments play an important role in improving public health outcomes globally, critical to this work is applying the best-available research evidence. Despite considerable exploration of research use in knowledge translation literature, how research is practically applied by local governments remains poorly understood. This systematic review examined research evidence use in local government-led public health interventions. It focused on how research was used and the type of intervention being actioned.

Quantitative and qualitative literature published between 2000 and 2020 was searched for studies that described research evidence use by local governments in public health interventions. Studies reporting interventions developed outside of local government, including knowledge translation interventions, were excluded. Studies were categorised by intervention type and their level of description of research evidence use (where ‘level 1’ was the highest and ‘level 3’ was the lowest level of detail).

The search identified 5922 articles for screening. A final 34 studies across ten countries were included. Experiences of research use varied across different types of interventions. However, common themes emerged including the demand for localised research evidence, the legitimising role of research in framing public health issues, and the need for integration of different evidence sources.

Conclusions

Differences in how research was used were observed across different local government public health interventions. Knowledge translation interventions aiming to increase research use in local government settings should consider known barriers and facilitators and consider contextual factors associated with different localities and interventions.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, respiratory disease, cancer and diabetes are the leading causes of chronic illness and premature death globally [ 1 ]. Research on the social determinants of health—the conditions, forces and systems that shape the conditions of daily life [ 1 ] highlights that NCDs are largely influenced by modifiable behaviours (or risk factors) such as tobacco use, physical activity and diet, and that these behaviours are often shaped by the local environments people live in; underscoring the important of role of local governments in improving population health outcomes [ 2 ].

Often articulated as the level of government closest to the people [ 3 ], local governments are the metropolitan and regional areas that sit within a state, territory or province. Their connection to a defined population and place means they are well positioned to influence health outcomes through both ‘bottom-up’ engagement with local stakeholders and ‘top-down’ policy interventions [ 3 ]. For example, local governments provide social infrastructure such as community health services and sporting facilities which play a critical role in addressing the challenge of ‘lifestyle’ diseases and improving health outcomes [ 4 , 5 ].

Decentralisation of public health responsibilities has seen the role of local government expand considerably in many regions [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. While this is broadly understood to benefit health outcomes, bringing decision-making within closer proximity of service delivery [ 3 ], it has not been without its challenges, including a lack of resources and the need to navigate new decision-making structures and processes [ 7 , 8 ]. Alongside this, local governments have also faced growing demands for greater use of research in health policy [ 9 ]. In Australia for example, local government public health responsibilities in the state of Victoria are mandated through the [ 10 ] which is underpinned by several principles, including “ evidence-based decision-making ” (s. 5) to guide the effective use of resources and inform public health interventions.

An evidence-based approach in public health—broadly defined as the integration of the best available research with community preferences and other resources such as practitioner expertise—is associated with both improvements in health outcomes and enhanced organisational efficiency and service delivery [ 11 ]. Within local government settings, an evidence-based approach requires policymakers and practitioners to draw on various forms of evidence including population health data, community feedback, guidelines and research. These forms of evidence need to be weighed against community needs, constituent preferences, strategic imperatives, and availability of resources and expertise [ 12 , 13 ]. Ideally, this results in interventions with demonstrated impact that are also feasible and acceptable to the community that they seek to serve.

Despite broad consensus on the benefits research in public health policy, it is often underutilised for a range of reasons such as inadequate access to relevant research or a lack of institutional support [ 14 , 15 ]. This ‘evidence-policy gap’ is a well-established phenomenon across multiple sectors and settings including and beyond local government. Furthermore, research has shown that perceptions of research needs can differ greatly between researchers and policy-makers [ 16 ]. Addressing this mismatch is a key goal of knowledge translation (KT) research, which aims to increase the relevance and effectiveness of research-based evidence alongside building individual and organisational capacity to use it [ 16 ]. However, after more than two decades of KT research, there remains a gap in empirical studies identifying which strategies are most effective at increasing research use, and how to implement them [ 17 ]. Critique of this literature argues that KT studies have tended to focus too heavily on how to get more research into policy, emphasising a need to better explore how research and policy interact outside the context of an implementation intervention.

There are a number of related systematic reviews that have examined research use in public health policy [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ]. These have largely focused on exploring barriers and facilitators of research use [ 18 , 19 , 20 ], and influences on research use [ 21 , 22 ], including the political dimensions of public health policy [ 23 ]. More recently, Verboom and Baumann [ 24 ] comprehensively mapped various characteristics of qualitative literature describing research use, including geography, methodology and use of theory [ 24 ]. While these reviews were predominantly global, and all but one [ 20 ] focused exclusively on public health policy, they included policy settings at all levels of government, examining local government experiences alongside national and state or regional government collectively.

Two reviews concentrated on local government settings, however they also included studies relating to local agencies/practitioners outside of local government [ 25 , 26 ]. One was global with a focus on high income/OECD countries only [ 25 ], the other was limited to England-based studies [ 26 ]. Although different in scope, both reviews were interested in research use in public health decision-making, drawing attention to the diverse ‘landscape’ of local public health decision-making structures and processes. These reviews emphasise a need for research to explore these differences in order to foster a deeper understanding of the “broad patterns of evidence use (and need)” [ 26 ] (p. 9) within local government settings.

Given the increasing expectation for local governments globally to develop and deliver public health interventions, this systematic review aimed to identify, appraise and synthesise published literature describing research use in local government-led public health interventions. Specifically, the review focused on exploring how research evidence was used in local government; for what type of activity (e.g. public policy development, health education, partnership); and variations in evidence use by intervention type.

A systematic review methodology was used and reported in accordance with the PRISMA checklist (see Additional file 1 ) [ 27 ]. Prior to conducting the review, a protocol was registered at Open Science Framework https://osf.io/s38qf/ .

For the purpose of this review, ‘research’ was defined as primary evidence produced through formal research or scientific methods, generally based in universities or with university-affiliated researchers, and/or published in peer-reviewed journals [ 28 ]. The use of raw data such as health monitoring or surveillance data not generated by academics was not a focus of this review. ‘Public health intervention’ is defined as an action “ intended to promote or protect health or prevent ill health in communities or populations ” [ 28 ], including environmental interventions aimed at improving health conditions.

To support the study aim of exploring whether research use varied depending on the nature of an intervention, a public health classification was used to categorise studies according to the type of intervention they described [ 29 , 30 ]. The use of organising frameworks in research and practice is also understood to support greater consistency in reporting public health interventions, and help facilitate national and international comparison [ 29 ]. Developed for the National Public Health Partnership in Australia, the classification used was informed by public health experts and an analysis of core public health functions and existing classification systems in Australia and internationally [ 29 ]. It comprises six top-level classes (see Additional file 2 ):

functions (e.g. promote health and prevent disease; ensure public health capability);

health issues (e.g. health and wellbeing; diseases and conditions);

determinants of health (e.g. environmental; socio-economic);

intervention methods that support the achievement of public health functions including actions, activities, programs and services;

the settings in which public health work is undertaken (e.g. local government; education; healthcare); and

the resources and infrastructure that support this work.

This review drew on the ‘ Methods ’ sub-classes which encompass a range of methods specific to public health (e.g. health education, community development, Health Impact Assessment), and those that reflect the day-to-day work of public health workers [e.g. administration, management and policy development [ 29 ]].

Search strategy

The search strategy was developed in consultation with a library specialist using key terms based on review objectives and identified through early research scoping. These were adapted as required for each database (see Table 1 for MEDLINE example). The CINAHL, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane and Health Systems Evidence databases were systematically searched for English language articles published between 2000 and 2020. This time frame was chosen because the year 2000 marks the origins of scientific enquiry of evidence use in public health [ 11 ] and the beginnings of legislative requirements for local government public health planning (e.g. Canada, Australia, England, The Netherlands) [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. Additional screening included reference lists of systematic reviews and cited references of studies that reported primary evidence and/or made public health policy recommendations.

Eligibility

This review included primary qualitative and quantitative peer-reviewed journal publications. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report the use of research (including research sourced from grey literature such as policy briefs, agency reports or guidelines) in an intervention aimed at improving human health outcomes at the population level. This could include an intervention targeting a specific risk factor (e.g. tobacco use) or broader factors that influence population health (e.g. social determinants, health equity, environmental health).

In order to generate a picture of ‘everyday’ research use in local policy settings, the review focused exclusively on studies describing research use in public health interventions implemented in local government settings, by local government decision-makers. Studies describing interventions implemented by non-public health departments within a specified local government were included, providing improved health outcomes was an explicitly stated goal. However, studies that reported interventions implemented by public health departments not embedded in a policy setting, or within local government settings by non-public health decision-makers (e.g. university-based research teams), were ineligible. Observational studies examining the role of research in decision-making were included however, KT studies with a primary objective of increasing research use were excluded. See Additional file 3 for a full list of inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Study selection

Study screening and selection was conducted using Covidence systematic review software [ 35 ]. After duplicates were removed, articles were independently screened by title and abstract by two authors (JD and PN) and in full text by three authors (JD, PN and AW). At both stages of the screening process, conflicts were resolved collaboratively, with a fourth author (PB) contributing where consensus could not be reached.

Methodological quality appraisal

Study quality and risk of bias was assessed using the Critical Review Forms for Quantitative Studies [ 36 ] and Qualitative Studies [ 37 ] as appropriate to the study design. The Critical Review Forms incorporate both dichotomous (yes/no) and descriptive items to appraise study variables such as methodological rigour, appropriateness of measures and sampling procedures. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) [ 38 ] was used for studies employing mixed research methods. The MMAT includes two screening questions and five categories of questions to select from based on study design. The response format for all questions is categorical (yes/no/can’t tell). These tools were chosen as they are published, freely available, widely utilised in health sciences and suitable for assessing a range of research designs. The tools enabled quantitative analysis of strengths and limitations within and between included studies. Tallying of categorical variables was used to classify included studies as ‘low’, ‘medium’ and ‘high’ quality. Quality appraisal was undertaken by one author (JD) with input from a second author (AW). A selection of studies (10%) were first appraised by both authors and results were compared and differences discussed until an agreed conclusion was reached to adopt a consistent approach. See Additional file 4 for an overview of quality appraisal.

Data extraction

Following screening, descriptive data for included studies was extracted and tabulated, including: citation; publication year; whether it was co-authored by local government; study aim/objectives; use of theory; research methods; research setting; participants; intervention type; and the level of detail provided in describing evidence use (see Additional file 5 ). Data extraction was primarily undertaken by one author (JD) with review from a second author (PN). First, both authors completed a proportion (10%) to allow for comparison of results. Consistency was observed between both authors.

Studies were categorised as follows according to their level of description of evidence use:

Level 3: the included study made a statement about research use.

Level 2: level 3 + the study discussed how and/or why research was used.

Level 1: level 2 + the study described stakeholder experiences of using research and/or barriers and facilitators of research use.

Studies were also categorised according to their intervention focus using a public health classification [ 29 , 30 ]. For parsimony, studies that reported more than one intervention method (e.g. health education and capacity building) were categorised according to the primary method identified. For observational studies that did not identify a specific intervention (e.g. those exploring research evidence use across broad aspects of public health decision-making), the cross-cutting category of ‘public policy development’ was used.

Following categorisation, further data extraction was undertaken (by JD in consultation with PB) to capture descriptions of research use, including perceived barriers and facilitators. A descriptive analysis of research use was conducted with greater attention given to higher-quality studies that provided more detailed descriptions of research use (i.e. levels 1–2).

Of the 5922 articles identified through searching, 805 duplicates were removed. A further 4857 that did not meet inclusion criteria were excluded through title and abstract screening. The remaining 260 articles were reviewed in full text, and a further 226 were removed (see Fig.  1 for exclusion reasons). A final 34 articles were considered to meet the inclusion criteria [ 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 ]. Four of these (two sets of two) related to the same study: Atkins et al. [ 40 ] and Kelly et al. [ 41 ] and; Hunter et al. [ 44 ] and Marks et al. [ 45 ]. These were analysed together, resulting in 32 included studies (see Table 2 ). Six studies were included, but not quality-appraised. One did not have a clearly defined research question [ 66 ], and five were commentaries [ 58 , 65 , 67 , 68 , 72 ]. All six described research use in local government-led public health interventions, were authored or co-authored by local government, published in peer-review journals and met all other inclusion criteria. It was determined to include them in the review as they contained relevant data; however, they should be interpreted in this context.

PRISMA flow diagram

Study quality assessment and confidence in the evidence

Confidence in the methodological rigour of included studies was good, with mostly high ( n  = 16) and medium ( n  = 8) quality scores (refer Table 2 for quality scores). Only two studies were considered low quality. Overall, studies were clear in articulating their purpose and informing the need for the stated research. Research methods were well described and appropriate for addressing stated research questions. Few studies ( n  = 8) specified the overall research design and many were lacking in describing the role of the researcher and measures to control potential bias. Trustworthiness of included studies was mixed. Common concerns included a lack of detail describing the research site and participant and auditability of data collection and/or analysis procedures. Refer Additional file 4 for an overview of quality appraisal and study level data.

Study characteristics

Characteristics of included studies are shown in Table 2 . Studies were published between 2007 and 2020. More than half ( n  = 18) were published between 2017 and 2020. Studies were mostly qualitative ( n  = 19). A smaller number were either quantitative ( n  = 5) or mixed methods ( n  = 3). Geographically, studies spanned 10 different countries, although a large proportion ( n  = 12) focused on the United Kingdom (UK). Studies were typically undertaken within a specific local government area or a subset of local governments within a specified region. Only one study spanned multiple regions, although they did not explore between-country differences.

Types of evidence used and associated definitions

Eleven studies reported a specific aim of investigating evidence use, mostly to explore research use alongside other types of evidence (e.g. evaluation reports and community views). Four focused explicitly on use of research, including evidence-based decision-making [ 43 ], systematic reviews [ 51 ], and evidence-based guidelines [ 40 , 41 , 58 ].

Only four studies included a definition for research evidence [ 42 , 47 , 58 , 69 ]. Consistent with the definition guiding this review, all defined ‘research as evidence derived from scientific methods and analysis. Definitions also emphasised the role of non-research-based evidence in public health decision-making such as evaluation reports or data (i.e. to inform the scale of health issues).

Use of theoretical frameworks

The use of theory as part of the study design was limited in the included studies. Only six studies used a theoretical framework (refer Table 2 ); three to guide data analysis [ 40 , 41 , 42 , 59 ] and three more robustly to inform overall research design [ 39 , 44 , 45 , 50 ].

The use of theory by local governments to inform intervention development or implementation, as described by the included studies, was even less evident. While some studies described the use of known models or frameworks by government to help inform understanding of particular health issues (e.g. place-based approaches to address health equity), more detailed accounts of theory to guide intervention design, implementation or evaluation were not observed.

Intervention methods and public health focus

As shown in Table 3 , studies described a range of public health interventions. For example, ‘legislation and regulation’ included the development or enactment of local laws and regulations such as licensing requirements and taxes. Interventions targeted a variety of health-related concerns; some were specific (e.g. tobacco use or problem gambling); others focused on broader factors such as health systems or the social determinants of health.

A large proportion of studies (59%) described research use in ‘public policy development’. While some were specific, for example describing public policy development to address alcohol use behaviours [ 59 ], many ( n  = 13) adopted a broader focus, describing public health decision-making in general terms in relation to service delivery, planning or strategy development (see Table 3 for individual study details).

Descriptions of research evidence use

More than half of included studies ( n  = 19) provided detailed descriptions of research use (categorised as level 1). These studies were predominantly medium to high quality (see Table 2 ). Ten were less detailed (level 2) but did describe how or why research was used. Overall, the quality of these studies was mixed; only two were high quality. Four studies only included a statement about research use (level 3), of which two were high quality. Although less descriptive in their reporting of research use, these studies were more explicit about sources, including identifying primary research that informed interventions.

Experiences of research use were typically framed in terms of barriers and facilitators, which were broadly consistent across different types of interventions. Common barriers to evidence use reported by the studies included:

lack of consensus about what constitutes research evidence [ 39 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 49 , 55 , 56 , 58 ];

availability of resources to support research use (e.g. staff skills, time and organisational support) [ 39 , 40 , 41 , 47 ];

perceived gaps in the evidence base on key public health issues [ 51 , 65 ]; and

the political nature (and associated complexity) of the decision-making context [ 40 , 41 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 51 , 52 , 54 , 55 , 58 ].

As well as different conceptualisations of what research-based evidence is, perceptions about what it means to be evidence-based also varied [ 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 47 , 55 ]. Differences were primarily attributed to variations in professional backgrounds of staff, including within local government public health teams (e.g. architecture, physiotherapy, nursing), which had implications for how notions of research, and what is considered robust research, were conceived [ 39 , 47 , 55 ].

Several studies described the impact of political influence on research use and the tensions that arose when evidence-based decision-making or public health priorities were in conflict with other political goals and decision-making processes [ 40 , 41 , 51 , 54 ]. For example, in the case of local alcohol policy-making where public health priorities conflicted with commercial priorities [ 50 ]. While at times political influence was reported to outweigh even good research [ 44 , 45 ], when political goals were aligned with public health priorities or research findings, this facilitated its use [ 52 ]. Other facilitators included:

individual and organisational capacity to use research [ 39 , 42 , 47 ];

research findings communicated in clear and simple language [ 50 , 51 , 53 ]; and

collaboration, including formal partnerships [ 43 , 47 , 48 , 50 , 51 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 59 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 72 ].

The reciprocal benefits of collaboration in knowledge building and sharing were well described. For example, informal networking between local governments was identified as an important research dissemination method; associated with additional benefits such as facilitating greater ‘ buy-in’ and promoting more robust policy responses [ 59 ], and reducing duplication of effort by promoting the effective use of limited resources [ 65 ]. Participatory processes at the heart of well-established evidence-based methods such as ‘Health Impact Assessment’ and Health in All Policies were also reported to foster research use through facilitated stakeholder engagement (including local citizens and experts from various sectors) across a range of public health issues [ 57 , 62 , 64 , 66 ].

Three themes emerged relating to research use. First, was the commonly expressed desire for more ‘localised research’ . Local evidence, including “ evidence of effectiveness in other LGAs ”, was described as critical to informing “ policies and strategies that were most likely to work in their local communities ” [ 48 ] (p.373). Although local evidence often referred to evidence that might not constitute research as defined in this review (e.g. evidence derived from community consultation by local governments), a lack of locally relevant research (as opposed to national or international research) was a commonly cited concern. This was described in relation to the use of national guidelines in a number of ‘public policy development’ studies which described a lack of local utility due to their broad focus. For example, a participant in one study noted, “ they lacked specificity and did not take into account complexity and scale ” [ 40 ] (p.5), while others felt that the diversity of local populations (and associated public health needs) were not always aligned with national populations and priorities. Consequently, local evidence was not only given precedence over national guidelines, it was considered essential for giving context to public health issues.

In ‘legislation and regulation’ interventions, the need for ‘localised research’ was more specific. For example, in alcohol licensing processes in the UK, Martineau et al. [ 54 ] describe how only certain types of evidence could be used. In the case of health-related research, it was only permitted if it was “ legally relevant as well as scientifically valid ” (p. 439); directly linked to licensing objectives (e.g. public safety); “ legally framed in terms of non-health objectives ” (p. 436) and; specific to the geography of the named premise. This study articulated a need for locally situated research linking known alcohol-related harms with local alcohol consumption practices, to facilitate its applicability in licensing processes. While only one study described a ‘research and evaluation’ intervention (reporting the commissioning of local research), it highlighted a range of positive outcomes [ 65 ]. In addition to clarifying the extent and nature of the public health issue (i.e. problem gambling), undertaking local research helped to foster partnerships and drive coordinated local and regional action [ 65 ].

The second theme to emerge was how research was used to ‘ frame or legitimise ’ public health issues or different points of view [ 48 , 50 , 52 , 56 , 57 ], particularly when engaging stakeholders outside of public health teams (e.g., other local government departments or community groups). This was observed in ‘Health Impact Assessment’ and Health in All Policies interventions as well as various ‘public policy development’ interventions where research was used to help build awareness of the public health implications of non-health issues; contributing to the adoption of more equitable policies. For example, Marko et al. [ 48 ], describe using research to highlight “the impact of EGMs [electronic gambling machines] on broader health and social issues (such as housing instability and family violence)” (p. 371) to reframe problem gambling from an addiction context to a public health context. However, the legitimising role of research did not always serve to benefit public health outcomes. Analysing research use in ‘advocacy and lobbying’, Rossow et al. [ 50 ] observed the use of research by two opposing coalitions to legitimise different points of view; also noting the active undermining, or de-legitimising of public health research by one coalition [ 50 ].

The third theme related to the need to ‘ integrate research’ with other sources of evidence, and the work associated with this. For example, in a study exploring research use by local governments in Victoria, Australia, participants reported that a mixture of evidence was considered both “ most useful ” and “ most influential ” in public health decision-making [ 39 ] (p. 7). While this finding was similar in numerous other studies, the drivers varied somewhat depending on the nature of the intervention, the stakeholders involved and the breadth or relevance of available research. For example, in ‘Health Impact Assessment’ interventions grounded in evidence-based decision-making, it was reported that gaps in the research-base meant that processes had to rely on other inputs including expert opinions and anecdotal evidence. At other times, presenting research within broader narratives (including local and anecdotal evidence), was seen as important to help influence decision-makers [ 39 , 46 , 52 ]. Most commonly in planning and strategy development activities described in ‘public policy development’ interventions; where stakeholders were often negotiating competing demands, personal and professional differences and power dynamics. While research was also considered important in these decisions, participants reported that it was rarely enough to support the full breadth and complexity of decision-making needs, often due to a lack of local relevance or failure to address certain considerations such as economic impact [ 49 , 52 ]. Despite the work involved in integrating various forms of evidence, it was clear that it was beneficial in terms of helping to engage different stakeholders (often with competing interests) on different public health issues [ 55 ], as well as addressing “ different views about relevant evidence methodologies ” [ 42 ] (p. 466).

These themes were often described within broader narratives of decentralisation of public health responsibilities and the associated push for more evidence-based policy. This was particularly prominent in studies from the UK where there was an underlying assumption that local governments were expected “ to up their game and get used to the processes and practices of evidence-based public health ” [ 40 ] (p. 9). Responding to this, Atkins et al. [ 40 ] argue that research needs to be fit for purpose and consider decision-maker needs, also calling for more shared responsibility in addressing the evidence-policy gap. Differences in evidence needs between local governments and national health services were also highlighted, including the need for a focus on sources rather than hierarchies of evidence.

This is the first known systematic review with an explicit focus on an in-depth exploration of research use in local government-led public health interventions, aiming to identify how research is used, and whether use varies depending on the nature of the intervention. This review found that local governments employ a range of different intervention strategies to address public health outcomes; highlighting the multi-dimensional nature of their role in public health. Furthermore, this review found that how research is used can vary depending on the nature of an intervention and the public health issue being addressed. These findings build on previous KT literature that emphasises the complexity of research use in public health policy, articulating the importance of acknowledging intervention methods and the nature of public health issues alongside the myriad factors surrounding the accessibility, legitimacy and practical value of various forms of evidence in local policy settings.

Strengths and limitations

A key strength of this review is the use of robust, established methods, including: a comprehensive search strategy (six electronic databases); having two authors independently screen all studies to reduce potential bias in study selection; and independent review of over 10% of studies to help mitigate any potential for bias in data extraction, quality appraisal and classification of interventions. Another major strength of this review is its focus on how research is used; building on findings of related work to examine research use at the level of intervention type and public health issue being addressed. This enabled a more nuanced understanding of how research use can vary according to these characteristics. In doing so, this review highlights that steps taken to improve research use in local government may need to vary according to these differences.

There were also a number of limitations to this review including that it was limited to English language articles which may have resulted in the exclusion of some studies. While database searching included the Cochrane review, a more comprehensive search of grey literature was not undertaken, which may mean that some studies were overlooked. This review adopted broad inclusion criteria, which may have resulted in some overlap with studies in previous reviews, however, the exclusive focus on local government settings allowed for findings to be explored in-depth within a singular government setting. Similarly, this review only included studies that described research use in local government-led interventions. While, this was purposeful decision, aimed at capturing a realistic view of research use by local government stakeholders, it should be noted that public health work in local government settings is rarely undertaken by a single agency. Partnership is both an integral aspect of addressing the challenges of public health, and a known facilitator of research use [ 73 ]. Although it is expected that this has resulted in the exclusion of studies that involved local government participation in public health interventions, it was considered necessary in order to meaningfully address a known gap in the literature and help build knowledge about local governments use of research. Despite this, an important limitation of this study is the ability to generalise findings across diverse local government settings. As discussed in the introduction, local governments have a globally recognised role to play in public health [ 4 ], however, public health is often conceptualised and organised differently both within and across regions [ 3 , 4 , 29 ]. Local government’s capacity to address public health outcomes is highly context dependent and impacted by relationships to higher levels of government, degree of decision-making authority and allocation of budgets and resources [ 3 , 4 ]. All of which can have a considerable impact on the type of decisions being made, the stakeholders involved and the role of research in decision-making.

Despite its global focus, this review had a high concentration of studies from the UK and fewer than previous reviews with an international focus; none were from low and middle-income countries. These differences are likely attributed to the review's exclusion criteria, particularly the exclusion of KT interventions to support the aim of capturing ‘everyday’ research use and the exclusive focus on public health departments embedded in local policy settings.

Use of theory

Consistent with previous literature [ 23 , 24 ], the use of theory was limited by both researchers and the governments they were studying. This is notable given the known benefits of theory in facilitating the success and sustainability of interventions and ensuring their replicability in other settings [ 74 , 75 ]. For example, behavioural theory can help inform the social and cultural dimensions of health behaviours (e.g. smoking) and assist with identifying strategies to promote change [ 75 ]. However, with a plethora of theoretical approaches to choose from, theory selection can prove challenging [ 76 ]. Future research may consider further exploration of local government stakeholders' knowledge of, and use of theory to inform public health intervention strategies.

Barriers and facilitators

As with previous reviews [ 18 , 19 , 20 ], a large number of studies in this review described research use in terms of barriers and facilitators to use (e.g. 39,42,43,46,53), despite this not being the focus of this review or the included studies. This finding is consistent with a recent review by Verboom et al. (2020) and suggests a shift in focus away from perceived barriers and facilitators in favour of exploring how research is engaged with in policy settings.

Exploration of research use

Despite a considered focus on exploring how research is used, this review found that few studies provided process-orientated descriptions of research use. How research is used was explored across three themes (i.e. the desire for more local research; the legitimising role of research and; the need to integrate research with other types of evidence). While themes were broadly consistent with wider KT literature, by categorising studies according to intervention type, this review identified several unique insights.

Demand for localised research

Direct interaction with the local environment is intrinsic to the work of local governments [ 77 , 78 ], and the desire to be locally informed is often in competition with the desire to be evidence-based. Consistent with Kneale et al. [ 26 ], this study observed a clear desire for more localised research. This was driven by a range of factors across different studies including: accountability to local constituents [ 45 ]; political ideology [ 40 , 45 ]; beliefs about the uniqueness of local populations and associated health needs [ 40 , 41 ] and; gaps in empirical literature [ 51 , 64 ]. It also found that in many cases, these factors led decision-makers to rely on other sources of evidence, often at the expense of methodological rigour or evidence hierarchies [ 46 , 49 ].

Also highlighting the importance of local research at the local government level, was the requirement for health research to be locally specific to be eligible for use in alcohol licensing processes in ‘legislation and regulation’ interventions as described by Martineau et al., [ 54 ]. Although less explored in the literature, this has been observed in other aspects of local government decision-making [ 25 ].

Despite critique from study participants about the limited utility of nationally informed evidence-based guidelines in local settings [ 40 , 41 ], they were still a commonly reported go-to-resource in the face of challenges surrounding the use of primary research (e.g. time and budget constraints) [ 39 , 51 ]. This is consistent with previous literature [ 22 , 78 ] and highlights an opportunity for higher levels of government and non-state actors such as researchers, knowledge brokers and peak bodies, to work more closely with local governments to explore how research needs can be more directly addressed through research synthesis and guidelines.

Elevating local experiences

Although there was a clear desire for more local research, this review found only one example of locally commissioned research [ 65 ]. This study provided a detailed, process orientated description of the various stages of the project to meaningfully inform other local governments on local evidence building. As well as underscoring a need for greater investment in production of local research, the relevance of this study to the scope of the present review highlights the potential value in greater inclusion of grey literature and non-traditional research papers in future systematic reviews to help elevate local government experiences.

This may also help address concerns about the tendency for KT literature to be descriptive or theoretical [ 17 ] and provide greater insight into what may or may not help to optimise research use. Promisingly, this review, along with a previous review [ 24 ], found that the number of studies using observational methods is on the rise; as is local government participation in study authorship compared to earlier literature [ 20 ]. This is important as observational studies, such as ethnographies and case studies that give voice to first hand-accounts of local government experiences can provide much needed practical insights into decision-making process and research use [ 20 , 23 , 24 ]. However, if this research gap is to be addressed, studies will also need to adopt a more open-minded approach to ensure greater exploration of policy-making activities and processes, as opposed to identifying perceived deficits in research use [ 79 ].

Framing and legitimising

The use of research to frame or legitimise different points of view in policy settings is often explored through the lens of Weiss’s [ 80 ] typology of research use. Commonly referred to as symbolic or political use, this involves using research to justify an action or position [ 81 ]; as observed in this review in ‘advocacy and lobbying’ [ 50 ]. While this type of use is often characterised negatively, Weiss et al. [ 82 ] argue it can also be functional; as long as research findings are not distorted or omitted in the process. This strategic use of research by health teams (observed in this review by studies describing the use of research to frame the impacts of non-health related decisions) [ 48 , 56 , 62 ], highlights the persuasiveness of research with some stakeholder groups, and the role it can play in helping to legitimise public health concerns. These findings also underscore the need for unbiased evidence reviews that present a full picture of the various impacts of different health issues and associated interventions.

Integrating evidence

The importance of drawing on a variety of evidence sources to inform local public health policy is well articulated in the literature [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 77 ]. This review identified that the drivers for this can vary across different types of interventions, emphasising the importance of building a research-base (including research synthesis) that “ better reflect (s) the complexity of local populations and systems of influence in order for this evidence to be more useful and usable in local public health decision-making ” [ 46 ] (p. 10). This means addressing demands for more locally relevant and issue specific research, using accessible language and open access publishing, and fostering greater involvement from policy-makers in research production [ 51 ].

This review builds on previous knowledge about barriers and facilitators to research use in public health decision-making, identifying considerable diversity in how research is used, by whom and for what purpose. Consistent with previous literature, this review highlighted the complexity of using research in local government settings, including the associated demands of needing to integrate research with other evidence sources to facilitate its use. In response to these challenges, local government stakeholders expressed a desire for more relevant research that reflects local experiences, supports the implementation of interventions within local communities, addresses the social determinants of health, and is communicated in clear and straightforward language that facilitates engagement with diverse stakeholders. This review classified studies according to intervention type, however other factors associated with local public health policy (e.g. policy cycle) are also likely to shape when and how research is used and as such are worthy of consideration in designing future studies. Additionally, future research should pursue more observational approaches to build further knowledge of how research (including theory) is applied, as well as fostering greater involvement of local government stakeholders in communicating findings. Building on the approach used in this review, researchers may need to adopt a more nuanced understanding of the diversity of intervention methods employed by local governments in order to better engage with the complex dynamics of research use.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available on Open Science Framework https://osf.io/s38qf/ .

Abbreviations

Non-communicable disease

Knowledge translation

Mixed Methods Quality Appraisal Tool

United Kingdom

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance from Louise Micallef, Subject Librarian at the Sir Louis Matheson Library at Monash University. They also acknowledge the support of VicHealth in funding JD’s research higher degree scholarship through Monash University’s Behaviour Change Graduate Research Industry Partnership jointly funded by the Australian Government Research Training Program and VicHealth.

JD is supported by a research higher degree scholarship jointly funded by the Australian Government Research Training Program and The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth). Beyond funding support, the funders had no direct role in the study design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation, or writing the manuscript.

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Alex Waddell

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JD contributed to the concept, design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation and drafting of the manuscript, PN contributed to data collection and data extraction, AW contributed to data collection and quality appraisal, AMW, AB and PB contributed to the concept, design, data interpretation and drafting of the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.

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Additional file 1.

: PRISMA Checklist for Reporting Systematic Reviews.

Additional file 2

: Classification of public health: top two levels of all classes.

Additional file 3

: Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria.

Additional file 4

: Quality Appraisal.

Additional file 5

: Study Details.

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Dam, J.L., Nagorka-Smith, P., Waddell, A. et al. Research evidence use in local government-led public health interventions: a systematic review. Health Res Policy Sys 21 , 67 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-023-01009-2

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Local Government Unit Basic Services: Implementation and Assessment

Leal, R.C; Sagubo, O.S; Brutas, R. M. 2020. Local Government Unit Basic Services: Implementation and Assessment, Global J. Bus. Soc. Sci. Review, 8(1): 49 – 59. DOI: 10.35609/gjbssr.2020.8.1(6)

11 Pages Posted: 13 Apr 2020

Isabela State University

Orpha S. Sagubo

Isabela State University, San Andres San Mateo, Isabela,3318, Philippines

Reynaldo M. Brutas

Date Written: March 31, 2020

Objective - Local Government Units (LGUs) play a significant role in the development of their constituents. Basic services should be their main priority in order to implement these services to a high standard. Hence, this study aims to assess the level of implementation of basic services in San Mateo, Isabela, taking into account the profile of the respondents, their perception on the implementation of basic services and good governance, significant differences in their perceptions, and problems encountered in the implementation process. Methodology/Technique - The data collected was measured and analysed using the Social Sciences Statistical Package (SPSS). Finding - The results show that the respondents (which were grouped into 4) vary in their perceptions on the implementation of the basic services; however, the level of implementation was high. Moreover, the 4 dimensions of good governance recorded a very satisfactory level of implementation. These findings imply that the mechanisms used in the delivery of basic services are effective and responsive. Thus, the model used by the LGU San Mateo may be shared with other municipalities to achieve quality delivery of basic services. Type of Paper - Empirical.

Keywords: Basic Services; Perceptions; Level of Implementation; Local Government Unit; Public Service

JEL Classification: H7, H70

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Rosalie C Leal (Contact Author)

Isabela state university ( email ).

San Andres San Mateo Isabela Philippines 3318 Philippines

Isabela State University, San Andres San Mateo, Isabela,3318, Philippines ( email )

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Ogochukwu I. Nzewi University of Fort Hare, East London, South Africa Modeni M. Sibanda University of Fort Hare, Bisho, South Africa Nzewi, O.I. & Sibanda, M.M., 2023, ‘Local Government’s Existential Challenge: 25 Years of the White Paper on Local Government (1998–2023)’, 4(0), a168. © 2023. The Author(s). Licensee: AOSIS. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The White Paper on Local Government (WPLG) was published 25 years ago on the 9th of March 1998 (Republic of South Africa [RSA] ). The ideal South African Local Government can be imagined as the vision of local government, enshrined in the South African Constitution, 1996 and in the founding document for transforming South African local government, the WPLG (RSA ). The WPLG, laid the groundwork for enabling legislation that subsequently followed, most notably the , the Local Government: , the and the (MFMA). Since 1998, the South African government has introduced many initiatives aimed at fixing the prevailing issues of dysfunction within local governance. Project Consolidate launched in 2004 was aimed at deepening the impact of existing local government policies and programmes. The Presidential Local Government Summit of 18th September 2014 gave birth to the Back-to-Basics Strategy, which sought to improve the functioning of municipalities, to better serve communities by getting the basics right. More recently, the District Development Model (DDM) (Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs [COGTA] ), launched in 2019 is among other objectives, aimed at addressing silo planning and implementation across spheres of government. It also seeks to maximise impact and align plans and resources at the disposal of government through the development of ‘One District, One Plan and One Budget’. Central to this local government transformation vision is the desire to ensure that previously disadvantaged communities are brought to the forefront of development, as envisaged in the WPLG’s ( ) developmental local government public value and social equity vision. Section 152 of the Constitution of the RSA ( ) identifies five performance areas, which guide municipal strategy-making, execution and evaluation, namely: ]emocratic and accountable government for local communities; provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner; promotion of social and economic development; promotion of a safe and healthy environment; and encouraging the involvement of communities and community organisations in matters of local government. (n.p.) These constitutional provisions are meant to guarantee beneficiaries and all South African citizens and residents access to dignity, equality before the law, freedom and security and access to basic services (housing, healthcare, education, food, water and social security). These provisions can be described as the generic objective of local government across many societies. However, what sets South African local government apart is its point of departure on the developmental nature of local government. It is difficult to problematise local government in South Africa. However, one seminal place to begin is municipal performance. While South Africa has post-1994 made some notable strides in local government transformation, however, almost 30 years later, the developmental local government ideal appears to be at a crossroads. The 2009 State of Local Government in South Africa Report presented findings of a countrywide assessment of the state of local government, culminating in the Local Government Turn-Around Strategy (LGTAS) Programme in November 2009. In 2014, the Department of COGTA, diagnostic report resulted in the back-to-basics strategy document, which identified municipal performance shortcomings and sought to improve service delivery and optimum municipal functionality. A new model of governance, the DDM, was introduced and adopted by Cabinet on 21 August 2019, to improve cooperative governance and enhance service delivery. The LGTAS (RSA ) as well as the State of local government report (RSA ) pointed to key areas of concern, which are also confirmed in independent academic research. These are as follows: capacity and human resources, responsiveness and accountability, economic growth of municipalities, sound financial management and the legacy of apartheid spatial development. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs initiated back-to-basics by conducting a desktop assessment of municipalities in all nine provinces and developed a set of indicators to be reported on monthly, as per the pillars of the back-to-basics approach, to measure whether municipalities perform in terms of the five ‘basics’. The DDM as a practical intergovernmental relations (IGR) mechanism is envisioned to get all three spheres of government to work together, with communities and stakeholders, to plan, budget and implement in unison. These concerns and initiatives imply that the ideal developmental municipality in South Africa must be administratively competent and provide the basic household infrastructure needed to develop social and economic growth; effectively integrate and co-ordinate the complex relationship nodes needed for local government functionality; purvey social equity sensibilities to empower communities and be innovative through organisational learning and visionary leadership. This emphasises the importance of municipal performance in the realisation of the vision of the WPLG’s ( ) ideal municipality. Twenty-five years after the unveiling of this ideal vision for local government in South Africa, perhaps more than ever before, the severity of electricity, water and other services provisioning problems in South Africa could pose an existential threat to the survival of local government as currently structured in South Africa. This year (2023), the (JOLGRI) has taken up the challenge of addressing this existential question: Is Local Government as presently structured in South Africa beyond redemption? Articles published this year not only illuminate the existentialist question but also begin to present solutions that go beyond perennial reports and recommendations, such as capacitating local government or draining the swamp of corruption and dysfunctionality. This year, articles such as those contextualising the factors that influence human resources development in municipalities, those examining social innovation through South African Local Economic Development Policy approaches or those examining measures that may assist non-performing municipalities in improving their performance, contribute to the discourse of municipal survival. These articles demonstrate that to survive, municipalities cannot escape from self-initiated measures of survival. There must be self-originated innovation and an openness to creative enrichment in local government. Thus, from a social innovation perspective, it is essential to promote new approaches to developmental local government through co-ownership and co-production. Even more important is the need to change the culture of service ennui and embrace agile solutions in local government. Other articles evaluated the implementation of municipal credit management policies, explored the effectiveness of section 139 intervention in municipal accountability architecture and examined municipal amalgamations and feasibility of economies of scale in local government. These articles contribute to the existential question of local government in South Africa, by examining the current structure of local government. The articles in this volume, debunk previously held notions of municipal reform. These articles take a strong path of departure from mainstream assumptions put out over the years, such as how amalgamations or structured administrative interventions lead to better efficiency and effectiveness, which begs the question of why these structural provisions are not reviewed and what will be the alternative? The politics of local government may be argued to be one of the most detrimental threats to its existence. One article explored the dynamics of traditional leader’s relationship with municipal councilors and service delivery. Another discussed how to enhance municipal counselor’s oversight in local district and metropolitan municipalities; while yet another article examined political violence and killings. These articles show that professionalisation is non-negotiable as a requirement for municipal survival. The ‘P’ (professionalisation) word strongly features in these articles in different ways and reveals that the excessiveness of the power dynamics in local government lies in a clear stipulation of roles and in the capacitating of political role players, such as councillors towards carrying out their duties in a professional manner. The political-administrative interface, conundrum, indeed, remain protracted and does not seem to make the relationship between councillors and administrators any easier. Finally, the research range and contribution of this year’s JOLGRI volume is much wider than previous editions. Many articles presented data across different municipalities, as opposed to single case studies, giving this volume a strength in terms of a better understanding of the unique character of municipalities across the board. The article examining ICT entrepreneurship training and job creation in a local government in Lagos State Nigeria also added to this comparative lens, through which to examine local government in South Africa and beyond. Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), 2019, , viewed 05 June 2023, from . Republic of South Africa (RSA), 1996, , Government Printers, Pretoria. Republic of South Africa (RSA), 1998, , Ministry for Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development, Pretoria. Republic of South Africa (RSA), 2009a, , Department of Cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Pretoria. Republic of South Africa (RSA), 2009b, , Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Pretoria. Crossref Citations Subscribe to our newsletter Get specific, domain-collection newsletters detailing the latest CPD courses, scholarly research and call-for-papers in your field. Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation    |    ISSN: 2709-7412 (PRINT)    |    ISSN: 2788-919X (ONLINE) ISSN: 2788-919X [email protected] Lex localis - Journal of Local Self-Government About the journal. Lex localis - Journal of Local Self-Government (ISSN:1581-5374, E-ISSN:1855-363X ) is an international journal for the study of the politics, administration, and management of local affairs published four times a year (in January, April, July, and October). The journal publishes articles that contribute to the better understanding and practice of local self-government and which are of interest to scholars, policy analysts, policymakers, and practitioners. The focus of the journal is on the critical analysis of developments in local governance throughout the world. Lex localis - Journal of Local Self-Government provides a unique forum for the consideration of all issues related to sub-national levels of government. 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Current Issue The Status of Elected Women Representatives in Rural Assam, India: Their Performance in Local Self Government Requires Subscription or Fee PDF (GBP 90) Dual Systems of Urban Villages: Autonomy and Informal Governance Mechanisms of Yuan Village in Guangzhou Huma betang-based resolution of mining land conflicts: belom bahadat legal culture of bakumpai dayak community in central kalimantan, indonesia, cultural diversity under sino-myanmar policies: local policies to promote cultural expression and diversity, the increasing importance of intergovernmental transfer revenue in local finance in poland and the flypaper effect, the urgency of forest governance: learning from brazil's sustainable tourism development, the influence of trust in tax administration and gender on tax compliance in slovenia, how to make the low-powered incentives mode of the public sector play a high-powered incentive effect- evidence from china's government performance management reform, does the internal control system play a strong safeguarding role against fraud in local communities, smart practice of integrating administrative management and human resources of chinese local governments under the background of digital transformation, is there a demand for extensive financial reporting on local government from the most important stakeholders: residents, the analysis of the influence of government diversity policy intervention, service innovation and competitive performance on social governance from the perspective of inclusiveness, local social capital: revisiting the measurement and establishing manageable indicators, latest publications, information. For Readers For Authors For Librarians Slovenščina Make a Submission Subscription. Login to access subscriber-only resources. COVID-19’s Effects on Local Governments From the Perspective of Local Government Officials Download PDF Every year, the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) sends the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) to local government officials all over the state. The MPPS is a program of state-wide surveys of local government leaders in Michigan with the goal of filling an important information gap in the policy maker process.  In the Spring 2020 MPPS, questions related to COVID-19 were added for local government officials to answer. From closed businesses to packed hospitals, local governments have been dealing with many problems in their jurisdictions. Using data from the Spring 2020 Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS), this paper will analyze the responses of local government officials to determine how the pandemic has impacted local jurisdictions. 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Academia.edu Journals   We're Hiring!   Help Center Find new research papers in: Health Sciences Earth Sciences Cognitive Science Mathematics Computer Science Academia ©2024 A study of the capabilities and limitations of local governments in providing community services in Nepal Public Administration and Policy: An Asia-Pacific Journal ISSN : 2517-679X Article publication date: 21 March 2022 Issue publication date: 10 May 2022 Corruption and dishonesty in the political and bureaucratic realms have impeded the ability of local governments to provide services and social justice in Nepali society. In light of this, the purpose of this research is to answer the key research question: what are the possibilities and limitations of local government in implementing constitutionally guaranteed rights in order to transform local communities? Design/methodology/approach This study gathered qualitative data from 14 local governments in seven provinces. A total of 56 in-depth interviews were held with elected representatives, political parties, and government officials at both the national and local levels. Both open-ended and open-structured questionnaires were employed for the interviews. The results indicate that capacity is a major constraint for local governments, which should be addressed to achieve successful local governance, inclusive citizen engagement, and strong technical, administrative and fiscal capabilities. Lack of local autonomy, political conflict and social class differences, external engagement, and conservative hierarchic government bureaucracy are major hurdles to growing capacity. Originality/value This paper analyses the capacity of newly restructured local governments through qualitative approach. It attempts to understand to what extent the Nepali local governments are capable in delivering the services at the local level as closest unit of the citizens. Capacity-building Local government State-restructuring Acharya, K.K. and Scott, J. (2022), "A study of the capabilities and limitations of local governments in providing community services in Nepal", Public Administration and Policy: An Asia-Pacific Journal , Vol. 25 No. 1, pp. 64-77. https://doi.org/10.1108/PAP-01-2022-0006 Emerald Publishing Limited Copyright © 2022, Keshav K. Acharya and John Scott Published in Public Administration and Policy . Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode Introduction Over the past 40 years, decentralization of public services has been adopted in many developing countries in Latin America ( Bossuyt, 2013 ), Southeast Asia ( Grant and Dollery, 2010 ), South Asia ( Wignaraja, 2005 ), Oceania ( Regmi, 2010 ) and Africa ( Shah, 2006 ). As a result, local government (LG) is consistently viewed as the lowest tier of any polity that operates closest to communities and hence has greater capacity for grassroots involvement around the globe ( Acharya, 2014 ). Considering the essence of LG, it is also theorized across the disciplines of political science ( Grant and Drew, 2017 ) and economics. The key reason is putatively superior capacity of LG residing in the organisation for collective action of extant communities and the inherent efficiencies associated with knowledge of a particular area and governing with this wisdom ( Balabuer-Coll et al. , 2010 ; Rondinelli, 1981 ). Additionally, a functioning LG system allows for the satisfaction of different sets of preferences by groups of citizens within one polity and stymies authoritarian or self-interested activity by a central state. However, the disadvantages of LGs have also long been recognised. Research in developed countries has been inconclusive as to whether enhanced decentralization or centralization improves efficiencies in terms of administration, resource allocation and political representation ( Balabuer-Coll et al. , 2010 ). Hiskey and Seligson (2003) found that decentralization can both promote and undermine political confidence and participation at a local level. Pandeya (2015) found that decentralized participation in LGs’ decision-making strengthened local governance and accountability systems but was also linked to negative outcomes. Moreover, outcomes were variable depending on participatory structures, local power, incentives for participation and level of support from elected representatives. Challenges have also been experienced regarding poor policy implementation, weak managerial capacity and continuing central control over finance and resources ( Acharya, 2014 ). These difficulties are partly addressed by some governments, but most central authorities appear reluctant to decentralize the powers and simplify the complexity of organisational design ( Grant and Drew, 2017 ). In Nepal, impunity, corruption, and dishonesty are growing rapidly at the local level due to unnecessary connection of politicians and bureaucrats in conflict of interests, power holding attitude, and manipulation in loopholes of the laws. These have led to dissatisfaction among the citizens and threatened LG’s capabilities and reliabilities. The Government of Nepal has long been criticized for its top-down planning, ineffective, corrupt, and elite-controlled administration, all of which have weakened institutional systems and the local governance system ( Adhikari, 2020 ). To ameliorate past lapses, the Constitution of Nepal 1990 formally highlighted decentralization as a means to ensure optimum involvement of people in local governance system through principles of devolution of power and responsibilities in local levels, building and development of institutional mechanisms, and an inclusive approach to people’s participation in the decision-making process ( Kharel, 2019 ). Despite these considerable endeavours, between 2002 and 2017, local democracy in Nepal was jeopardised due to the vacuum of elected leadership of local bodies ( Adhikari, 2020 ). In this period, local democracy was subjected to attack by political groups presenting themselves as protagonists of democratic rights and aspirations of the people. Nonetheless, the new Constitution of Nepal (2015) envisaged federalization and decentralization of the state structure and comprehensive LG reform, which was designed based on both the ‘principle of subsidiarity’ and ‘economies of scale’ ( Adhikari, 2020 ). The Constitution of 2015 has provisioned to transfer the political, administrative, and economic authority from national to sub-national level and granted substantial autonomy at the sub-national level ( Government of Nepal, 2015 ). Despite these legislative efforts, research has indicated that some authorities and functions of the LGs have deviated by the federal government towards the federal units at the district level, which have been hesitant to support the LGs in lawmaking, strengthening fiscal governance capacity, human resource development, building partnerships with broader stakeholders, and bureaucratic democratization ( Acharya, 2018 ). Kelly (2016) argues that the Nepali governance structure remained highly centralised, incapable of addressing governance and service delivery problems on the one hand, while on the other hand failing to simplify and re-build the political, administrative, and fiscal dimensions of government in order to enhance efficiency, effectiveness and accountability. In line with this, this paper examines the limitations and possibilities of contemporary local governments in Nepal to ensure effective and efficient service delivery at the local level. Literature review: local governance practice and results In 1936, Keynes argued that the state intervention could increase economic growth by capturing political system, but its results in terms of development appeared a top-down and centralized approach ( Preston, 1996 ). Until 1960’s, most countries in the world adopted this theory in their political, economic and social system. In the beginning of 1970s, there was a major paradigm shift, and a popular concept ‘people-centred development approach’ emerged in neo-liberal theory. It is an amalgamation of capitalism and socialism, which advocates to the decentralized approach in the development ( Jacobs and Laybourn-Langton, 2018 ). This theory focuses on the free market system, independent role of the state and other institutional mechanisms, which reduces expenditure of the state in social provisions and introduces the market-based strategies in solving economic complexities ( Acharya, 2014 ). In the late 1960s, decentralization was introduced as a concept to transfer the power, authority and functions from the national to sub-national government ( Rondinelli, 1981 ). It focused on democratic reform of the governing structure, which transferred political, administrative, fiscal, planning, and implementation authority from the centre to the province and local governments ( Dhungana and Acharya, 2021 ). In developing countries, the main aim of the decentralization is to promote public participation, empower local people who are mainly marginalized to engage in the political decision-making process, so that governance can be fostered at different levels of the governing structure. Furthermore, it aims at increasing efficiency and effectiveness in the service delivery, optimum management and mobilization of resources ( Zafarullah and Huque, 2020 ; Amah, 2017 ). However, transferral of legislative, judicial or administrative authorities from national to sub-national level is daunting task in developing countries. In developing countries, local governments represent as grassroots level government units, which are closest to the citizens, and responsible to deliver not only decentralized services and institutionalize the local governance system, but also accelerate the social and economic development to advance the democratic values and public participation in decision making at the local level ( Brosio, 2012 ). Zafarullah and Huque (2020) added that decentralization is based on subsidiarity principles, which devolves power, functions, and services to the lowest governmental tier subject to economies of scale and capacity. Thus, local governments are governing units that bring citizens and governments closer in new structure, encourage all actors to participate, deliberate, and develop solutions to pressing social, economic, and community development issues ( Ghosh, 2020 ). As a result, many experiences in developing countries highlight that LGs provide services to citizens as self-governing units by using the government’s administrative, executive, and judicial functions to enable the citizens ( Acharya, 2018 ). In Nepal, the Rana oligarchy was abolished in 1950, and democratic polity was established to develop the administrative system through the establishment of ministries and the formation of different departmental committees to facilitate local development under decentralized approach ( Acharya, 2014 ). However, ‘ Panchayat ’ system was instituted in 1960 as an autocratic principal political strategy. Albeit it created a new local government structure under decentralized approach with three tiers: zone forming an upper tier; district at an intermediate level; and both municipal and village at lowest levels, the system adopted a centralized approach that put the monarch at centre of governance and people at periphery. The objective of the Panchyat- based local government system was to create centre led accountable local institutions to strengthen the political system at grassroots level; develop local leadership; involve local people in decision-making processes; mobilize resources; and strengthen the local level planning process and service delivery mechanisms and in order to strengthen the system, many laws and regulations were formulated ( Pradhan, 1969 ). In 1990, a new form of decentralized democracy was established that created plentiful space for citizens in their representational engagement in public institutions. However, the new political system could not counteract the problems of the basic service delivery system. Issues of local governments’ sectoral agencies’ coordination and accountability widened due to inexperienced political representation and by local government being overlooked by bureaucracy ( Acharya, 2014 ). In response to recurrent issues and demands for improving the community service mechanism, the Local Self-Governance Act (LSGA) 1999 was formulated to provide a legal basis for the decentralization of power from central authority to district, village and municipality levels. After the enactment of the LSGA-1999, a number of positive developments took place at the local level. It enhanced autonomy and greater roles of the local government bodies in participatory planning, improvement of financial and resource management, promotion of accountability and transparency, and the participation of external stakeholders such as civil society groups, NGOs and private sectors play their respective roles and promote their causes under the local self-governance system ( Kharel, 2019 ). Despite its promise, ambiguities remained with the LSGA (1999) on power sharing and authority between different governing units (VDCs/Municipalities and DDC). Moreover, the conflicting provisions of other sectoral laws challenged the autonomy of local governments. For example, twenty-three sectoral laws were identified as conflicting with the LSGA, which stymied desirable results for both democracy and service delivery at the local level ( Government of Nepal, 2015 ). In 2002, the regime of local governance was handed over to central government employees until June 2017 due to the short tenure of locally elected representatives, which jeopardised the local governance system ( Acharya, 2018 ). Under these arrangements, the local government system in Nepal has suffered on the following grounds. First, the decentralised democracy in Nepal (post-1990) was either more compartmentalised (top-down) than before or was excessively hierarchical. Second, democracy in Nepal was — and is presently — clearly divided into two layers. In the first are political and bureaucratic benefit groups (grassroots level political cadre, elites, and politically affiliated bureaucratic staff), the capitalist and business class and social elites. Such groups utilised the decentralised democracy for their own benefit and forcefully captured the space in decision making process, instruct the administrative system, and drag the power in their own hands for their own purposes. In the second are 'marginalised groups' mainly Dalit, women, ethnic castes, and socially/economically/geographically excluded groups who are denied any opportunity to influence policies intended for them, and for whom democracy only becomes significant during elections ( Acharya, 2014 ). It was further cultivated by the vacancy of political representation at local bodies. This created a vacuum between public and government for institutionalising and democratising processes, deficiency of horizontal coordination in sector planning and budgeting, and weak resource absorption capacity. In response to these challenges, a new federal Constitution of Nepal (2015) was promulgated, which projected new forms of competition, created new methods of public management, and generated new governing codes for central-local relations ( Acharya, 2018 ). The Constitution allows for three levels of government — federal, provincial, and local — while facilitating the devolution of power to local government and other state organisations. It also specifies local governments as closest to the ‘grassroots’ ( Acharya and Scott, 2020 ; Government of Nepal, 2015 ). The Constitution expresses a sincere pledge to create an egalitarian society based on principles of proportional inclusion and participation, which guarantees Dalits and marginal communities shall have the rights to participate in all agencies of the state based on the principle of proportional inclusion. In addition, local governments such as village government and municipal government are considered a third-tier government that is much closer to the people. The 2015 Constitution of Nepal also aimed to promote cooperativeness, co-existence and coordination between the federation, province and local levels and aimed to provide for the efficient delivery of services, meaningful people’s participation, and to institutionalise the legislative, executive and judicial practice at local level. Furthermore, the local tiers have also created their own governing and administrative structures and deploy power-sharing mechanisms, not only for government accountability to citizens, but also to allow actors at the multiple levels of government political participation in legislative, executive and judiciary functions ( Adhikari, 2015 ). To materialize the decentralization, the Constitution allocates 22 exclusive powers and 15 concurrent powers that have been shared among the federal, the provincial and the local levels. Furthermore, extensive tasks involving public services, consisting of planning, implementation, economic development (agriculture, livestock, cooperative and industrial), social development (education, health, vital registration, social security allowances distribution, certifications/recommendation), environment, infrastructure and institutional development have been made through new law Local Government Operation Act-2017 . These powers and functions were further transferred to ward level structures. From 2016/17, the Government of Nepal commenced allocating budget monies directly to local governments under four schemes, namely equalisation, conditional grants, special grants, and a matching fund, based on the provisions for revenue-sharing outlined in the 2015 Constitution ( Dhungana and Acharya, 2021 ). This was Nepal’s first experience of local governments having the mandate to autonomously choose their priorities and spend resources at their disposal. However, experience shows that many developing countries have failed to cope with these issues in their efforts to transform the social, political, and economic aspects of society due to significant degrees of bureaucratization, politicization, and undue influence of imported ideas and practices ( Acharya, 2018 ). For example, the practices of federalism in Africa did not appear to have positive effects due to local identity cults. Similarly, in developing countries such as India, Iraq, and Nigeria, federalism has not delivered the desired results, nor has it been able to bridge the gap between states and resolve communal and ethnic conflicts caused by poverty, political insecurity, religious intolerance, and poor governance ( Ghosh, 2020 ; Amah , 2017). Nepal’s newly adopted constitution paved the way for federalism. The major objective of this Constitution, among many others, is to embrace the people’s right to autonomy and self-rule, as well as to achieve people’s expectations for peace, good governance, development, and prosperity ( Acharya and Scott, 2020 ). Despite the literature available in both developed and developing countries on federalism, decentralization, and local governance, these appear only in conventional theoretical approaches, which are facing number of challenges in implementation. However, Nepal's current federalism and local governance system claims as hybrid federalism, which allows all kinds (executive, legislative and judiciary) of governing power to local governments based on “co-operation, co-ordination and co-existence”. This study looks at the possibilities and limitations of instituting a hybrid federalism model at the local level. Methodology This study gathered qualitative data from 14 LGs across Nepal’s seven provinces to delve deeper into the process of reform in LGs beginning in 2015. Following that, 7 Rural Municipalities were chosen, including Ramasoshan, Dolpo-Buuddha, Madane, Binayi-triveni, Parvatikinda, Aurahi , and Aatharai . Concurrently, 7 Urban Municipalities: Godavari, Bheriganga, Tulshipur , Beshishahar, Ratnanagar, Bardibas , and Duhabi were also chosen as unit of analysis. Between November 2019 and March 2020, 56 in-depth interviews were conducted purposively with national and local governments representatives, including Mayor/Chair, Deputy Mayor/Vice Chair, Chief Administrative Officer, and a Dalit woman member in each LG unit, 2 members of the Ward Citizen Forum, and 3 members of the Citizen Awareness Centre. Additionally, a Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, a member of the Local Level Restructuring Commission, 3 representatives from LGs Associations, the chair of the Parliament Development Committee, and spokespersons from major political parties Nepali Congress, a member of the Unified Marxist and Leninist Party, and Maoist Centre Party, 5 independent local governance experts were among those in attendance. The purpose of these interviews was to gather participants’ thoughts and feelings about LG capability. They were also questioned on how LGs are carrying out their constitutionally mandated powers and responsibilities. Building new collaborations with development partners, technical and administrative ability for successful service delivery, budgetary capacity to lead local administration and the design of laws and regulations were among the other topics investigated. For the interviews, open-ended and open-structured questionnaires were used. The qualitative data were transcribed and classified using four themes as detailed below. Findings and results Preparation of legal framework. The Constitution of Nepal mandates that all three levels of government have the authority to exercise three governing functions (legislative, executive and judiciary) by allowing 22 exclusive rights and 15 concurrent functions. These functions and privileges, however, cannot be carried out until subsidiary laws are drafted and approved by local assemblies. On October 2018, the federal government forwarded the Local Government Operation Act 2017 (LGOA-2017) to speed up the local governance process. This aimed to promote cooperation, coexistence, and coordination between the federal, provinces, and local governments; provide efficient and high-quality services by ensuring people's participation, accountability, and transparency; and institutionalize legislative, executive, and judicial practice at the local level. This Act provides detail of the functions of LGs, different authorities of LGs, defines the procedures of LGs (such as Assembly and operation), provides instructions and a basis for annual planning and budgeting, and prescribes administrative structures and the provision of staff. Similarly, it envisages powers having devolved to the ward levels from municipalities and village centres in terms of the formulation, implementation, and monitoring of planning; development work; regulative functions; and certification. Even though the LGOA-2017 attempted to streamline local government operations by unbundling all exclusive and concurrent rights, the Act has been criticized for a variety of reasons. First, it is unable to minimize the conflicting provisions of laws between inter and intra governments, illustrate the scope of LGs to raise revenue, capacity development of elected representatives and staff which is insufficient when compared to the list of functions LGs are supposed to perform. Second, it does not address the professional capacity limitations among elected representatives and administrative staff. Third, some functions, which were devolved by the federal government, lack clarity. We will have to wait a long time to see if the laws that are drafted and executed at the municipal level are successful. Federal units design a set of model laws while assisting in the law-making process, taking into account their presence and control at the center, which are instructed to be formulated exactly through the Chief Administrative Officer. Local autonomy is unlikely to be limited to slogans in such a setting. Most of local council members are apathetic in the legislative process due to a lack of capacity, and different priorities. Their main concern is how to increase the budget allocated to their constituency to win the next election. On the other hand, the majority of the people's representatives come from a construction and business background, they put pressure on legislators to write laws that benefit them rather than the people. Apart from that, according to a federal ministry representative, the process of enacting laws at the local level is extremely cumbersome. Even if laws are passed, their execution is apprehensive with difficulties. Unnecessary disputes were created during implementation. Because certain laws will replace established practices, there will be grassroots protests and people's representatives will not be interested in making laws on a regular basis. They point fingers at the federal agencies to avoid taking responsibility. However, the LGs should be careful that such formulated local laws do not contravene the federal and provincial laws. Overall, the capacity, knowledge, and law enforcement mechanisms at the LG level are considered weak, largely because of an absence of legal training and experience among LGs’ personnel. Fiscal governance and capacity LGs have demonstrated fiscal capacity in Nepal with respect to intergovernmental transfers that shift general revenues from taxes collected by the national government to sub-national governments for general or specific uses, and local tax collection. In these systems, the revenue received by the local governments is in accordance with the law on the recommendation of the fiscal commission, considering the capacity, needs and regional balance of the local level. Currently, LGs can generate only about one-third of their internal revenue through taxation and fees for services. Their principal financial source is fiscal transfers (equalisation, conditional, complementary/ matching, and special grants) from the federal government to sub-national level, which were estimated to make up about two-thirds of their total income ( Prasad, 2015 ). The Inter-Governmental Fiscal Transfer Act-2017 has proposed 15 different types of taxes and fees to recoup various recurrent and capital expenses. Based on the legislation, LGs collect property, house rent, real-estate registration, land, entertainment, advertisement, business, and hoarding board taxes. They are also collecting fees from various types of services, rent, vehicle parking, tourism, collection of scrap and operation of transport vehicles. However, at the local level, the universally accepted framework for revenue collection has yet to be applied, and numerous parameters such as institutional capacity and efficiency, reliable service provision, and economic development level should all be considered. At the local level, focusing exclusively on revenue collections is unjustifiable; resource potential and operational capacity, leadership commitment, and citizen support should all be considered. The local government appears to be unaware that low-income citizens take the burden of local revenue (taxes, services, and fees). Despite the widespread idea that more services can be provided by raising more revenue, there have been numerous cases of local governments failure to reach efficiency in revenue collection and utilization. Even at the local level, according to the results of the SWOT analysis, it should be addressed with as early as possible. Local governments tend to slap higher taxes on professions, businesses, and various services on the run, without considering the profitability or transactions of the enterprises and firms. This has neither produced an enabling atmosphere for new investors to enter, nor has it inspired existing entrepreneurs and experts to push the business with enthusiasm. Its immediate effect is that enterprises are increasingly moving to the next local level where tax rates are lower, and the economic climate is more favorable. In the long run, this will have a negative influence on the local level. The executive board determines the areas and rates of tax based on their own judgment. Staff and elected officials' experience and knowledge serve as a foundation for tax enforcement. Finally, the annual assembly meeting approves it, and the tax is imposed on the people. However, there have been several objections against taxes at the grassroots level. People have threatened to take the municipality to court over local tax decisions on occasion. Even if we follow the rules and regulations, we are unaware of what is at the root of the gap between LGs and the public. Complaints that the taxes have imposed by the local government are excessively high are found at the grassroots level. Last year, I paid Rs 2,900 for the land tax, but this year, the municipality has charged Rs 10,200 in the same amount of land. I sought the reason of increasing amount of money in similar amount of land, the answer was that the municipality carried out the property tax. Based on the findings, local leadership is better to commit to building a local fiscal governance system by establishing local tax advisory committees to ensure proper revenue management. Tax rates should not be raised without assessment of tax and revenue implications. Similarly, determining the service charge depending on the amount of service utilization will be beneficial. Administrative expenses should be estimated for determining taxes and service charges. The service fee should not be levied if the estimate exceeds the tax collected. It is only required to impose taxes in areas where administrative expenses under one's jurisdiction can be reduced. If taxes are imposed in places where sustainable taxes are not possible, one should always be aware that unnecessary administrative costs produce public dissatisfaction. Human resources capacity From 2002 to 2017, LGs were largely steered by centralised mechanisms, which failed to deliver coalface services to the local level. Despite this, the institutional arrangements of the LGs during the period in which locally elected representatives were absent, the service delivery, infrastructure development, planning and monitoring, resource mobilization, auditing and financial management were deeply flawed. Central government staff, by virtue of their position, enjoyed state power and resources, while LGs’ staff, positioned merely as support staff, were demoralized, and considered inferior by central government staff, as they were seen to be recruited based on nepotism and favouritism. As a result, LGs’ employees were positioned as passive service providers and were unable to facilitate the democratic and inclusive development objectives. To these ends, the parliament approved the Employees Adjustment Act 2018 to support the functions and mandates outlined in the Constitution. The key objective of the Act is to reorganise the existing unitary structure of civil service so that government can re-allocate adjust and transfer civil servants in the public service into the federal, provincial, and local levels. In accordance with the interim O&M survey conducted by the federal government that estimated around 100,000 staff would be needed, among them the federal government would need 35 percent, while the provincial governments would need 16 percent and local levels would need 49 percent of the total estimated employees. This would require substantively more civil servants than the then existing number, which was 99,571 before the adjustment. By March 2019, a total 99,571 civil servants were adjusted, of which 40.12 percent were retained at the federal level, 13.87 percent adjusted to provinces, and the remaining 43.98 percent sent to local levels ( Acharya, 2018 ). The following outcome of SWOT analysis ( Table 1 ) shows the assessment of capacity of human resources. The finding of the in-depth interviews indicates the government, on the other hand, has been unable to persuade personnel to present to their assigned location. Even after five years of formal implementation of federalism following the completion of provincial and local elections, provincial and local levels have experienced staff shortages. Sectoral personnel such as engineering, finance, legal, and information technology are in limited supply. Without confirmed chief administrative officers, more than 200 local levels are operating, and as a result, service delivery has suffered significantly. Except federal staff, the federal government has no statistics on employee shortages. However, it has been stated that local government positions will be added while existing positions will be managed, whereas federal government positions have been increased unnecessarily. Employees understand that such an attitude may deprive them of professional development and service facilities after local adjustments are made. Role of bureaucracy The Nepalese bureaucracy operates with a centralized mindset, which is intrinsically linked to political parties. It is a common propensity to make the services more complicated than innovation. Trade unions are formed and promoted by each political party. When looking at meritocracy and grades from high school to college, most of them obtained a third-class degree or an ordinary back paper; first-class certificates are exceptional. The number of readers appears to be high even after joining the service. At the assistant level, those who enter the service for a livelihood with poor qualifications are observed. Due to a lack of collective accountability, the Nepalese bureaucracy is increasingly attempting to avoid top management duties and blaming itself for failures. To summarize, Nepal’s public administration system is primarily process-oriented, as compared to result. Significant political changes have transpired in Nepal, but little has progressed administratively; the same old style and structure can be found. Bureaucracy is mostly dominated by nepotism and favoritism, leading to a brain drain. Political and administrative elites conspire to eliminate personal efficiency like the right person at the right place. If the bureaucracy is weak, this has increased the incidence of criminalization in society and value-based bureaucracy. However, the federal level staff seems reluctant to transfer the duty to the states in the spirit of federalism, constitutional rights, and international best practices in public administration. For example, when the local administration lacked the competence to use its exclusive power, it had a vested interest in controlling and centralizing it rather than efficiently executing constitutional rights by strengthening its capabilities. Discussion: LG capacity in Nepal From the perspective of LGs in Nepal, it is the task of intergovernmental connections to balance local development with higher expectations for bridging the gap between government and civil society, as well as government institutions that deal with human resources and institutional operations. Inadequate legislation and institutional frameworks, human resource management, accounting and procurement processes, and revenue administration have all been concerns ( Acharya, 2018 ). To promote the interrelations among federal, provincial, and local tiers in Nepal, the Constitution of 2015 focuses on cooperation, coexistence, and coordination principles, which emphasize fiscal and administrative processes by which these tiers share revenue through an inter-fiscal transfer mechanism ( Acharya and Scott, 2020 ). The 2015 Constitution highlights that the federation can be directed or assist LGs directly or through the provincial government under the constitution and federal law. It is the duty of the provincial and LGs to abide by such directives ( Adhikari, 2020 ). Despite these cooperative apparatuses, the Constitution has provisioned several institutional mechanisms to accelerate intergovernmental relations. First, an inter-provincial council mechanism has been provisioned under a chairmanship appointed by the Prime Minister to settle political disputes arising between the federation and a province or between provinces ( Acharya and Scott, 2020 ). Second, the inter-provincial trade mechanism has been envisioned to avoid any kind of obstruction to carriage of goods or extension of services through a provincial or local tier of government to another provincial or local tier ( Dhungana and Acharya, 2021 ). Third, the government promulgated the Inter-Governmental Fiscal Management Act 2017 as a key fiscal governance Act. This act reinforces a fiscal administration system through revenue management, grant allocation, loan borrowing, budget distribution and expenditure, and public finance management at the federal, provincial and the local tiers. Finally, it corrects the imbalances and reduces the disparities in local service delivery among subnational territories. However, numerous differences have emerged to hinder inter-government relations. While the Constitution provides that the federal government can direct to the provinces and provinces can direct to LGs, LGs have remained reliant on the federal government for various reasons. First, the power and functions which distribute resources arbitrarily to the LG does not match with the capabilities of LGs. Second, there are imbalances between functional authority and budgetary authority at the province and local level. Third, there is high fiscal dependency on the federal government. Finally, bureaucracy which is known as the engine of federalism was highly corrupted and dominant at the local level in recent years ( Adhikari, 2015 ). These dynamics adversely affected the quality of autonomy and institutionalisation of inter-governmental relations. Many factors influence the adaptive capacity of LGs to be responsive. These factors can be grouped into three broad categories: essential resources, social networks and collaboration, and political legitimacy ( Dhungana and Acharya, 2021 ). Although essential resources critically contribute to capacity development, it is also supported through intergovernmental mechanisms and vertical chains. Evidence suggests that polycentric governance and collaboration are necessary in building resilient social systems ( Newig and Fritsch, 2009 ). The norms and networks of such systems, often referred to as social capital, facilitate cooperative action among citizens and institutions. Political legitimacy is a factor influencing LGs to accelerate the local capacity. Part of this legitimacy is determined by institutional context and the legal powers and authority particular governments possess ( Adhikari, 2020 ). Thus, LGs often propagate strategies to maintain autonomy and retain the regulatory and administrative power needed to make outcomes occur. Hence, capacity development processes can be summarised as follows: First, capacity development activities should not create dependency. Second, capacity development activities should not lead to a weakening of the state. Third, capacity development is not a separate activity to institutional mechanisms. Fourth, capacity development is not solely concerned with financial sustainability. Having undergone the biggest socio-political change since the end of conflict in 2006, with the promulgation of its 2015 Constitution, the challenges ahead for Nepal are to institutionalise the changes that have taken place in the political landscape of the country. This includes ushering the country towards a new era of economic development through political stability, ensuring inclusivity in all aspects of governance, managing identity politics, addressing the concerns of the Madheshi political parties, decentralizing power, and addressing the issues of transitional justice. Power devolution from the centre to the local level has been widely implemented since the promulgation of the Constitution in 2015. This process reinforced the shift from a hierarchical to a more networked structure. The devolved authorities, according to the Constitution, have the potential to reform the local governing system through principles of coexistence, cooperation, and coordination. However, the current reality on the ground in Nepal continues to be difficult on multiple fronts, implying that theoretical problems raised in previous studies are manifest in Nepal. LG functions are in their immaturity unable to function effectively due to a lack of technical ability among political and administrative employees, a lack of knowledge and skills among elected representatives in enacting local laws and a slow implementation of annual programs and budgets. Similarly, the federal government is indifferent to the idea that it is the responsibility of the centre to formulate laws and arrange human resources, while LGs’ jobs are only to implement them. Local autonomy has been influenced by this hierarchical mindset. Finally, a substantial amount of the budget has been allocated to local levels to manage federalisation and devolution of service delivery, based on the size of the administrative area, population, and a poverty index. LGs have also been entrusted with the task of drafting laws and collecting taxes. However, figures show that barely 18 percent of Nepal's total yearly budget was directed to local levels in 2018/019, and fewer Acts and regulations were enacted at the local level. The main causes of this are a lack of technical expertise and local governing experience. SWOT analysis of human resource capacity of local governments Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats was approved by parliament and Employee Adjustment processes took place. Acharya , K.K. ( 2014 ), Relevance of Community Governance for Basic Service Delivery in Nepal: An Empirical Study , Unpublished doctoral dissertation , University of New England , Armadale, Australia . Acharya , K.K. ( 2018 ), “ The capacity of local governments in Nepal: from government to governance and governability? ”, Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration , Vol. 40 No. 3 , pp. 186 - 197 . Acharya , K.K. and Scott , J. ( 2020 ), “ Cultivating local capacity to restructure Nepali governance ”, in Deb , S.N. , Subhalakshmi , G. and Chakraborti , K. (Eds.), Upholding Justice: Social, Psychological and Legal Perspectives , Routledge , India , pp. 171 - 190 . Adhikari , B. ( 2015 ), “ Salient features of the Constitution of Nepal 2015 ”, Nepali Constitutional Law, Governance and Public Policy Issues , available at: https://bipinadhikari.com.np/quick-comments/salient-features-of-the-constitution-of-nepal-2015-2072/ ( accessed 17 June 2020 ). Adhikari , D. ( 2020 ), Nepal’s Road to Federalism: From the Perspective of Grassroots Democracy , Kathmandu, RTI International , Kathmandu . Amah , E.H. ( 2017 ), “ Federalism, Nigerian Federal Constitution and the practice of federalism: an appraisal ”, Beijing Law Review , Vol. 8 No. 3 , pp. 287 - 310 . Balabuer-Coll , M. , Prior , D. and Tortosa-Ausina , E. ( 2010 ), “ Decentralization and efficiency of local government ”, The Annals of Regional Science , Vol. 45 No. 3 , pp. 571 - 601 . Bossuyt , J. ( 2013 ), “ Overview of decentralization processes in Latin America: main achievements, trends and future challenges ”, European Centre for Development Policy Management Discussion Paper No. 148 July , Quito . Brosio , G. (Ed.) ( 2012 ), Decentralization and Reform in Latin America: Improving Intergovernmental Relations , Edward Elgar , Cheltenham . Dhungana , R.K. and Acharya , K.K. ( 2021 ), “ Local government’s tax practices from a cooperative federalism perspective ”, Nepal Public Policy Review , Vol. 1 No. 1 , pp. 157 - 178 . Ghosh , A.K. ( 2020 ), “ The paradox of ‘Centralized Federalism’: an analysis of the challenges to India’s federal design ”, ORF Occasional Paper No. 272 , New Delhi , Observer Research Foundation , New Delhi . Government of Nepal ( 2015 ), The Constitution of Nepal , Nepal Law Commission , Kathmandu . Grant , B. and Dollery , B.E. ( 2010 ), “ Place-shaping by local government in developing countries: lessons for the developed world ”, International Journal of Public Administration , Vol. 33 No. 5 , pp. 251 - 261 . Grant , B. and Drew , J. ( 2017 ), Local Government in Australia: History, Theory and Public Policy , Springer Nature , Singapore . Hiskey , J. and Seligson , M. ( 2003 ), “ Pitfalls of power to the people: decentralization, local government performance, and system support in Bolivia ”, Studies in Comparative International Development , Vol. 37 No. 4 , pp. 64 - 88 . Jacobs , M. and Laybourn-Langton , L. ( 2018 ), “ Paradigm shifts in economic theory and policy ”, Intereconomics , Vol. 53 No. 3 , pp. 113 - 118 . Kelly , R. ( 2016 ), “ Stock-taking of fiscal decentralization policy in Nepal ”, Journal of Fiscal Federalism , Vol. 1 No. 1 , pp. 1 - 16 . Kharel , S. ( 2019 ), “ Local governance and rural development practices in Nepal ”, NUTA Journal , Vol. 6 No. 1-2 , pp. 84 - 94 . Newig , J. and Fritsch , O. ( 2009 ), “ Environmental governance: participatory, multi-level – and effective? ”, Environment Policy and Governance , Vol. 19 No. 3 , pp. 197 - 214 . Pandeya , G. ( 2015 ), “ Does citizen participation in local government decision-making contribute to strengthening local planning and accountability systems? an empirical assessment of stakeholders’ perceptions in Nepal ”, International Public Management Review , Vol. 16 No. 1 , pp. 67 - 97 . Pradhan , P. ( 1969 ), Bureaucracy and Development in Nepal , Claremont Graduate School , California . Prasad , U.S . ( 2015 ), “ Nepal’s fiscal federalism model in the new constitution: agenda for amendments ”, NRB Economic Review , Vol. 27 No. 2 , pp. 91 - 108 . Preston , P.W. ( 1996 ), Development Theory: An Introduction , Blackwell , Oxford . Regmi , K. ( 2010 ), “ Understanding the effect of decentralization on health services: the Nepali experience ”, Journal of Health Organisation and Management , Vol. 24 No. 4 , pp. 361 - 382 . Rondinelli , D.A. ( 1981 ), “ Government decentralization in comparative perspective in developing countries ”, International Review of Administrative Sciences , Vol. 47 No. 2 , pp. 133 - 145 . Shah , A. ( 2006 ), Local Governance in Developing Countries , The World Bank , Washington, D.C . Wignaraja , P. ( 2005 ), “ Pro-poor growth and governance in South Asia - decentralization and participatory development ”, The Pakistan Development Review , Vol. 44 No. 4 . Part II , pp. 1159 - 1171 . Zafarullah , H. and Huque , A.S. ( 2020 ), Managing Development in a Globalized World: Concepts, Processes, Institutions , Taylor & Francis, CRC Press , Boca Raton . Corresponding author About the authors. Keshav K. Acharya is Federalism and Governance Advisor of Capacity Development Support to Governance Project of GIZ Nepal. His main interest areas are federalism, local governance, public policy, capacity development, regional/urban planning, service delivery, and community development. He holds PhD from the University of New England, Australia. He is a development expert who worked in different positions of multilateral and bilateral organizations for more than 20 years. Additionally, he has written books, articles, and research papers, which are published in peer-reviewed international journals and book chapters. John Scott is Professor and Head of the school of Justice, Queensland University of Technology, Australia. His main research interests' areas are drug supply, sexual and gendered crime, and rural crime. He has wide number of publications including 27 books and major research reports and over 100 papers and book chapters, many with leading international journals and publishers. Professor Scott is a member of the ARC College of Experts, edits the Routledge Series Crime and Justice Studies in Asia and the Global South , Co-Edits The Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy and is Vice President of the Asian Criminological Society. Related articles All feedback is valuable. Please share your general feedback Report an issue or find answers to frequently asked questions Contact Customer Support Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World Read our research on: Full Topic List Regions & Countries Publications Our Methods Short Reads Tools & Resources Read Our Research On: State & Local Government How do states fill vacancies in the u.s. senate it depends on the state. In the event that a Senate seat becomes vacant, governors in 45 states have the power to appoint a temporary replacement. How Americans Get Local Political News Most U.S. adults follow news about local government and politics, yet only a quarter are highly satisfied with the quality of coverage. More than 80% of Americans believe elected officials don’t care what people like them think More than 80% of Americans believe elected officials don’t care what people like them think. Americans rate their federal, state and local governments less positively than a few years ago Americans view their state and local governments far more positively than the federal government in Washington. Working on Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day? It depends on where your job is 16 states and the territory of American Samoa still observe the second Monday in October as an official public holiday exclusively called Columbus Day. Americans’ Dismal Views of the Nation’s Politics Americans’ views of politics and elected officials are unrelentingly negative, with little hope of improvement on the horizon. 65% of Americans say they always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics. By contrast, just 10% say they always or often feel hopeful about politics. More than half of states will recognize Juneteenth as an official public holiday in 2023 This year, at least 28 states and the District of Columbia will legally recognize Juneteenth as a public holiday. Around one-in-five candidates for Congress or governor this year are veterans 21% of the roughly 1,000 candidates for U.S. Senate, House or state governor on the fall ballot claim some degree of military experience. Americans’ Views of Government: Decades of Distrust, Enduring Support for Its Role 65% say most political candidates run for office “to serve their own personal interests.” In some states, students account for a large and growing share of statehouse reporters In Missouri, 51% of all reporters covering the state capitol this year – 26 of 51 – are students. REFINE YOUR SELECTION Drew DeSilver (16) Aleksandra Sandstrom (6) David Masci (5) Katerina Eva Matsa (5) Elisa Shearer (4) Lee Rainie (4) Anna Brown (3) Bradley Jones (3) John Gramlich (3) Mark Jurkowitz (3) Carrie Blazina (2) Hannah Hartig (2) Katherine Schaeffer (2) Kirsten Worden (2) Michael Lipka (2) Naomi Forman-Katz (2) Vianney Gómez (2) A.W. Geiger (1) Alec Tyson (1) Alex T. 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Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of  The Pew Charitable Trusts . © 2024 Pew Research Center Hawaii News National News International News Local Sports National Sports Letters to the Editor Entertainment Classifieds Print Ad Directory Browse notices Place a notice Statement of Values Terms of Service Submit News Today's Paper Kaua‘i forest bird protection awarded grants to research avian malaria in Hawaiian Honeycreepers The Maui News WAILUKU–The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation has announced a $644,758 grant to the Kaua’i Forest Bird Recovery Project (KFBRP) to support on-the-ground efforts in its battle against avian malaria. The grant was awarded Tuesday. A similar amount of grant funding was also awarded to the University of Hawai’i and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for continued research to improve mosquito breeding to create non-viable offspring to reduce the disease transmission to Hawaiian honeycreeper forest birds. Dr. Lisa ‘Cali’ Crampton, KFBRP Program Manager said, “We are very excited to be involved in this effort to use top-notch science to help us advance conservation of critically endangered forest bird species through reduction of mosquito-borne disease. Funding from the Partnership to Advance Conservation and Practice (PACSP) program will allow KFBRP to better monitor and refine the application and efficacy of a new tool, the Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT), to suppress mosquitoes in Hawaiian forest bird habitat.” This research is one of 10 projects receiving funding under the PACSP program, a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the NSF and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Now in its second year, the program is designed to catalyze deep collaboration between researchers advancing basic science and conservation partners engaging in on-the-ground conservation. The projects focus on a range of species, from Hawaiian honeycreepers to grizzly bears and Venus flytraps. The outcomes will have far-reaching implications for biodiversity and conservation, policy, and the economy. “The fundamental knowledge these projects create, even though related to specific species, will unlock innovative conservation efforts across a broader range of threatened species and ecosystems,” said Lara Littlefield, executive director for programs and partnerships at the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. “For instance, studying whether mosquitoes infected with bacteria can limit the spread of malaria among birds in Hawaii could ultimately limit disease spread among other animals more broadly.” Each project extends basic science into on-the-ground conservation to address critical knowledge and data gaps, enabling greater real-world impact to benefit species and ecosystems. “The unique partnerships this program creates forge a roadmap to broader conservation action by uniting the skills, expertise and tools needed to address the most urgent threats to our natural world,” said Susan Marqusee, NSF assistant director for biological sciences. “These projects also will engage the public, policymakers, law enforcement and others in conservation through education, outreach and other broader impacts.” David Smith, DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) Administrator commented, “This grant builds on the strong multi-partner collaboration already in place to combat avian malaria as the single-largest threat facing native forest birds, like the honeycreepers. Every little bit helps, particularly currently, when we are facing the strong likelihood of one or more species of honeycreepers going extinct in the very near future.” Today's breaking news and more in your inbox Daily Newsletter Breaking News Haleakala remediation public comment period open Maui news, in brief, August 26 Feed My Sheep celebrates 25 years serving the hungry on Maui Immigration services division to close for training, reopen with new appointment guidelines. The Maui News WAILUKU—The County of Maui Department of Human Concerns Immigration Services Division office in ... Trail workday at Middle Ridge displays value of state-community collaboration Bird species was extinct in Europe, is back. Humans must help it migrate for winter Only $99/year, subscribe today. An official website of the United States government Here's how you know Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.   Facebook   Twitter   Linkedin   Digg   Reddit   Pinterest   Email Latest Earthquakes |    Chat Share Social Media   Despite regional variation, pinyon jay densities generally increase with local pinyon–juniper cover and heterogeneous ground cover In this paper we describe a hierarchical model characterizing local-scale habitat features associated with high densities of pinyon jay ( Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus ), a species which has been proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act.  We used data from a broad-scale, integrated, point count monitoring program (Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions; IMBCR), spanning 16 western states, to assess pinyon jay density responses to various ground, shrub, and tree composition and cover estimates collected by on-the-ground surveyors.  Our results agree with prior research suggesting mechanical removal of pinyon pine and juniper trees may negatively affect pinyon jays, and our models provide guidance to support pinyon jay habitat management. Full citation: Van Lanen, N.J., A.P. Monroe, and C.L. Aldridge. Despite regional variation, Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus (Pinyon Jay) densities generally increase with local pinyon–juniper cover and heterogeneous ground cover. 2024. Ornithological Applications . https://doi.org/10.1093/ornithapp/duae036   Related Content Modeling Songbird Density-Habitat Relationships to Predict Population Responses to Environmental Change Within Pinyon-juniper and Sagebrush Ecosystems Get our news. These items are in the RSS feed format (Really Simple Syndication) based on categories such as topics, locations, and more. You can install and RSS reader browser extension, software, or use a third-party service to receive immediate news updates depending on the feed that you have added. If you click the feed links below, they may look strange because they are simply XML code. An RSS reader can easily read this code and push out a notification to you when something new is posted to our site. Biology News Ecosystems News Fort Collins Science Center News Language selection Français fr Federal government announces funds for climate resilience research to strengthen infrastructure From: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada News release Now more than ever, communities are experiencing the impacts of climate events. Preparing Canada’s communities – including the infrastructure that supports them – for these events is critical to keeping Canadians safe, protecting local businesses, and supporting a strong economy. Ottawa, Ontario, December 21, 2023 — Now more than ever, communities are experiencing the impacts of climate events. Preparing Canada’s communities – including the infrastructure that supports them – for these events is critical to keeping Canadians safe, protecting local businesses, and supporting a strong economy.  Today, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Iain Stewart, President, National Research Council of Canada (NRC), and Chantal Guay, CEO, Standards Council of Canada (SCC) announced a federal investment of $59.6 million over five years to amplify and expedite research initiatives that will help ensure communities have the knowledge and guidance – including codes, standards, guidelines, and tools – needed to adapt to the impacts of climate change. This investment will build upon the current work funded by Infrastructure Canada to support the NRC -led Climate Resilient Built Environment (CRBE) initiative and the SCC -led Standards to Support Resilience in Infrastructure Program (SSRIP).    The CRBE initiative provides knowledge to adapt our public infrastructure where necessary, informs potential changes to building and infrastructure codes and standards, and creates guides, tools, and technical solutions to support resilience to climate change. This initiative will continue to support resilience across the construction sector, from design and decision-making to construction, operation, maintenance, and retrofit. The SSRIP initiative delivers standards and related guidance that address priority areas such as heat, flooding, nature-based solutions, and transportation system resilience. The program is working with communities and beneficiaries to ensure that projects promote a consistent approach to climate change adaptation, increase resilience, and support informed decision-making for infrastructure and buildings across Canada. Making adaptation investments today will have major economy-wide benefits in the years to come. The research is clear, according to the Canadian Climate Institute for every dollar spent on adaptation measures today, $13-$15 will be returned in years ahead in direct and indirect benefits.  “The research and data delivered through this investment will strengthen communities and help them better protect the homes, businesses, and livelihoods of their residents from the impacts of climate change. We will continue working with our partners to ensure the safety and well-being of Canadians across the country in the face of these impacts.” The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities “The safety and well-being of Canadians are priorities for our government as we already feel the impacts of climate change. This investment will support the important work being done that will help us ensure that Canada’s new and existing buildings and infrastructure are more resilient, reducing disaster risks and protecting communities across the country.” The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry   “Research plays a fundamental role in how we design, build and maintain our infrastructure, buildings and homes to withstand the effects of climate change. Today’s investment continues to support the National Research Council of Canada’s work with collaborators across the country to build a climate resilient Canada through science and innovation.” Iain Stewart, President, National Research Council of Canada  “Climate risks can be reduced or avoided by making sure communities are designed to standards that address climate change. Using standards, decision-makers and professionals can better plan, construct, and maintain climate-resilient, nature-positive, and sustainable cities. Working with experts across Canada, we are ensuring they have the tools they need to adapt communities.” Chantal Guay, CEO, Standards Council of Canada “Adaptation is about being better prepared to address and reduce the impacts of climate change, now and in the future. For me, this announcement is about strengthening communities against climate risks. It illustrates our determination to continue to implement Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy, a whole-of-society blueprint to prepare for, and reduce the risks of, climate change through coordinated and ambitious action. Together, we have taken substantial strides towards building climate resilience in our communities and our economy.” The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Quick facts The federal government is investing $59.6 million through the National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) and Government of Canada’s Adaptation Action Plan (GOCAAP) over five years. This includes $12.1 million to Infrastructure Canada (INFC), $30.1 million to the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), and $17.4 million for the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). This funding will support research and development initiatives that help communities withstand natural climate events and climate-related risks. By helping make infrastructure more resilient to the impacts of climate change, the federal government can better protect communities, the safety and security of Canadians, while reducing the damage to homes, assets, and the disruption of economic activity. On June 27, 2023 , the government released Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy . It commits $1.6 billion in new federal funding to help address both immediate and future climate risks to Canadian communities. From 2016 to 2028, the federal government has committed $160 million of funding through the Climate-Resilient Buildings and Core Public Infrastructure (CRBCPI), Climate Resilient Built Environment (CRBE), and Standards to Support Resilience in Infrastructure Program (SSRIP) initiatives. The CRBE initiative led by the NRC builds on the foundational work and success of the CRBCPI initiative, which was a similar five-year initiative. To date, these initiatives have delivered future climate design engineering values and supported over 65 climate-informed codes, standards, guidance, and decision-support tools. The SSRIP initiative led by SCC has advanced over 50 new and updated standards and related guidance to date that incorporate climate change considerations for infrastructure and buildings across on topics ranging from flooding and high winds to permafrost degradation. Associated links Infrastructure Canada Codes, Standards, and Guidance for Climate Resilience Investing in Canada: Canada’s Long-Term Infrastructure Plan NRC research on climate resilient buildings and infrastructure Canadians Prospering in a Changing Climate: The Roles of Standards Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy: Building Resilient Communities and a Strong Economy For more information (media only), please contact: Micaal Ahmed Communications Manager Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities 343-598-3920 [email protected] Media Relations Infrastructure Canada  613-960-9251  Toll free: 1-877-250-7154  Email:  [email protected] Follow us on  Twitter ,  Facebook ,  Instagram , and  LinkedIn Web:  Infrastructure Canada National Research Council of Canada 613-991-1431 Toll free: 1-855-282-1637 Email:  [email protected] Nadine James Communications Manager Standards Council of Canada 613-238-3222 Email: [email protected] Page details 232 IMAGES Virginia State and Local Government Research Paper Local Government Research Proposal Module 9 Top Government Research Paper Tips! Local Government Essay Example Local Government COMMENTS Local Government Studies Local Government Studies is the leading journal for the study of local politics, policy, public administration and management and governance. First established in 1975, it is an influential forum for critical dialogue and exchange on local government and a vital resource for academics, politicians, policy makers and practitioners ... Local Government: Concept, Roles and Importance for Local government is door step government to the local people and is responsible towards the local people. ... and local democracy. This paper aims to research and analyze the relationship between ... Local Government Management and Performance: A Review of Evidence The present study makes two contributions to the literature on local government management. First, it undertakes a comprehensive assessment of what is currently known about the effects of management on the performance of local governments by integrating the theories and evidence from the empirical research that has been published during the past 40 years in the leading public administration ... PDF Local Government Effectiveness: Assessing the Role of Administrative levels of governments, local governments are more likely to be targeted as having insufficient organizational capacity to perform their tasks (Brown and Potoski 2003). Therefore, more quantitative and qualitative research is needed at the local government level to better understand how capacity translates into greater government effectiveness. Transparency in Local Governments: Patterns and Practices of Twenty The study found increasing research output on local government transparency in the twenty-first century with Europe and North America being the major contributors. There is a low research interest in local government transparency in Africa and South America, probable due to administrative cultures and other governance factors. State and Local Government Review: Sage Journals State and Local Government Review (SLGR), peer-reviewed and published quarterly, provides a forum for the exchange of ideas among practitioners and academics that contributes to the knowledge and practice of state and local government politics, policy, and management.Of particular interest in SLGR are articles that focus on state and local governments and those that explore the ... Local government efficiency: reviewing determinants and setting new This paper has reviewed the international literature on the explaining factors of efficiency of local governments from 1990 to June 2019. The main objective of this work is to explore the dynamics of the development of this line of research, not only to find out the terminology preferences that have dominated the pre- and post-crisis period in this field but also to identify the latest ... A New and Reinvigorated Research Agenda for U.S. Local Governments After completing a productive series of sessions to gain insights from local government officials about the impact of the pandemic, the editors of State and Local Government Review asked Ann O'M. Bowman to convene a group of scholars for a podcast "to identify topics that should be included in a new and reinvigorated research agenda for the ... Local Government Studies: Vol 50, No 4 (Current issue) Party politics across levels of governance: relational dynamics of immigrant integration policy making in Belgian cities. Published online: 26 Jul 2024. Explore the current issue of Local Government Studies, Volume 50, Issue 4, 2024. Learning from Local Government Research Partnerships in a Fragmented Findings produced from local government research partnerships are context-dependent: they apply to a particular place, at a particular moment, and according to a particular research design ... I am grateful to Meghan Rubado and Aaron Deslatte for soliciting this paper and Adam Levine, participants at the 2020 Southern Political Science ... Sustainability Additionally, more information channels do not always mean better informing about plans and strategies connected to sustainability in local governments. This paper presents the findings from our research, which can contribute to the field of local government research and management by broadening the view on smaller villages and their ... Local governments' efficiency: a systematic literature review—part I We provide a systematic review of the existing literature on local government efficiency from a global point of view, covering all articles from 1990 up to the year 2016. ... (26 papers) Local personnel expenses can be measured as the number of local government employees12 or as the total personnel ... More research is needed in dynamic ... Research evidence use in local government-led public health Background Local governments play an important role in improving public health outcomes globally, critical to this work is applying the best-available research evidence. Despite considerable exploration of research use in knowledge translation literature, how research is practically applied by local governments remains poorly understood. This systematic review examined research evidence use in ... Full article: Trajectories of local open government: An empirical A model of open government adoption. This study develops a model for explaining disparities in open government adoption at the local level. Open government is thus considered an organizational innovation (cf. Grimmelikhuijsen and Feeney Citation 2017).Innovation is defined as the generation or adoption of new ideas, objects, or practices (Amabile Citation 1988; Rogers Citation 1995; O'Toole ... (PDF) Comparing Local Government Systems across George Washington Institute of Public Policy, George W a shington University, 805 21 st Street NW, Washington, DC 2005, USA; e-mail: [email protected]. Received 5 November 2007. Environment an d ... Local Government Unit Basic Services: Implementation and Assessment Abstract. Objective - Local Government Units (LGUs) play a significant role in the development of their constituents. Basic services should be their main priority in order to implement these services to a high standard. Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation We invite you to participate in the special collection to be published in 2025 in the open-access scholarly Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation (JOLGRI). Title: Innovating Governance: Revolutionizing Local Government through Innovative Research and Practices. Timeline: · Submissions open: 01 June 2024. Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation The Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation (JOLGRI) focuses on improving the system of local governance and to proffer local government as the major stakeholder for development in South Africa and the globe. ... The White Paper on Local Government (WPLG) was published 25 years ago on the 9th of March 1998 (Republic of South Africa ... Lex localis About the Journal. Lex localis - Journal of Local Self-Government (ISSN:1581-5374, E-ISSN:1855-363X ) is an international journal for the study of the politics, administration, and management of local affairs published four times a year (in January, April, July, and October). The journal publishes articles that contribute to the better ... (Pdf) Empowering and Strengthening of Local Governments The paper finds that among the participants participating in the study, expectation of devolution of autonomy from Provincial Government to build up desired local system is more in demand and ... COVID-19's Effects on Local Governments From the Perspective of Local From closed businesses to packed hospitals, local governments have been dealing with many problems in their jurisdictions. Using data from the Spring 2020 Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS), this paper will analyze the responses of local government officials to determine how the pandemic has impacted local jurisdictions. Local Government Research Papers Engendering Local Government in the Commonwealth Caribbean. Author's Note Undertaking the research for this paper proved to be a challenging exercise. A theme such as 'The Experience of Engendering Local Government in the Commonwealth Caribbean' assumes that information on local government exists... more. Download. by C R G S - I G D S ... A study of the capabilities and limitations of local governments in Introduction. Over the past 40 years, decentralization of public services has been adopted in many developing countries in Latin America (Bossuyt, 2013), Southeast Asia (Grant and Dollery, 2010), South Asia (Wignaraja, 2005), Oceania (Regmi, 2010) and Africa ().As a result, local government (LG) is consistently viewed as the lowest tier of any polity that operates closest to communities and ... State & Local Government Americans' views of politics and elected officials are unrelentingly negative, with little hope of improvement on the horizon. 65% of Americans say they always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics. By contrast, just 10% say they always or often feel hopeful about politics. short readsJun 9, 2023. HTA Review research and analysis papers Paper 4. HTA methods: Clinical evaluation; Attachment 1: Detailed country profiles - HTA pathways and processes, clinical evaluation methods and horizon scanning; The final versions of the above papers have been combined into a single paper - HTA pathways and processes, clinical evaluation methods and horizon scanning. CYFD defends group home as federal government turns away from CYFD Cabinet Secretary Teresa Casados said the facility offers at-risk kids more resources and a healthier environment than sleeping in the agency's office, despite recent research suggesting ... Kaua'i forest bird protection awarded grants to research avian malaria The Maui News WAILUKU—The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation has announced a $644,758 grant to the Kaua'i Forest Bird Recovery Project (KFBRP) to ... Despite regional variation, pinyon jay densities generally increase In this paper we describe a hierarchical model characterizing local-scale habitat features associated with high densities of pinyon jay ... Our results agree with prior research suggesting mechanical removal of pinyon pine and juniper trees may negatively affect pinyon jays, and our models provide guidance to support pinyon jay habitat ... Federal government announces funds for climate resilience research to The federal government is investing $59.6 million through the National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) and Government of Canada's Adaptation Action Plan (GOCAAP) over five years. This includes $12.1 million to Infrastructure Canada (INFC), $30.1 million to the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), and $17.4 million for the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). assignment essay homework phd report resume review speech thesis