2019 · Q8a · Types of decentralisation (10 marks)

Source: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 2019.pdf, PDF page 1 · Answer allocation: 10 marks

Original examination question

Write short notes on any TWO of the following: (10 each) (a) Types of Decentralization (b) Role of Civil Society in good governance (c) Administrative buffering

This page answers option/part (a). All options are supplied for revision; follow the paper’s choice instructions in the examination.

Bullet outline

• Define transfer of functions and authority.
• Administrative: deconcentration, delegation and devolution.
• Political and fiscal dimensions; distinguish privatisation.
• Match functions with funds, staff and accountability.

Full exam-ready answer

Meaning and principal forms

Decentralisation transfers responsibilities and decision-making authority away from a central organisation. Its forms differ in the degree of autonomy transferred and the mechanisms through which recipients remain accountable.

Deconcentration redistributes work within the same governmental hierarchy, usually to regional or district offices. A field office may process applications locally while remaining subordinate to its parent department. It therefore changes the location of administration more than the ultimate source of authority.

Delegation assigns responsibilities to bodies with greater operational autonomy, such as specialised agencies. The delegating authority retains powers defined by law or the delegation arrangement. Devolution transfers powers to legally recognised subnational governments that possess their own political institutions and a meaningful sphere of decision making.

Complementary dimensions

Political decentralisation strengthens representation and local participation through elected institutions. Fiscal decentralisation concerns expenditure responsibilities, revenue powers and intergovernmental transfers. Administrative decentralisation concerns staffing, management and service-delivery responsibilities. These dimensions should reinforce one another.

Some classifications include privatisation or market decentralisation. However, transferring service production to private actors differs from transferring democratic authority to elected local government and should not be confused with it.

Assessment

Decentralisation can improve responsiveness and use local knowledge, but it may also reproduce local elite domination or widen disparities. Unfunded responsibilities and unclear mandates create failure rather than autonomy.

A sound design therefore aligns functions, finance and personnel, establishes transparent transfer rules and preserves effective oversight. The central question is not simply how much authority moves downward, but whether institutions become more capable and answerable to the people they serve.

Study note: This is an original model answer, not an official FPSC marking scheme. The outline is for revision; the prose below it provides the complete answer. Marks guide relative depth rather than a prescribed word count.