Research Reports
Bridging the Accountability Gap: Applying assed-based and citizen-led development in Emfuleni, South Africa
This research project aims to gain an understanding of how to institutionalise the Asset-Based and Citizen-Led Development (ABCD) approach as an innovative means of promoting active citizen engagement along with local-level social accountability in Emfuleni Local Municipality, Gauteng Province in South Africa. Building on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA)’s work in three wards of…
Women’s political representation and effective participation in Ngara, Tanzania
This action research project aimed at understanding the factors obstructing and enabling participation of women in the Ward Councils of Ngara, and design a policy intervention. The study employed qualitative methods including interviews, focus group discussions, and document reviews. Following empowerment theory, it reveals socio-economic, socio-cultural, and institutional factors hindering women’s participation, such as financial…
Implementando el ODS 5 sobre laigualdad de género entre los gobiernos locales en Guatemala
English title: Implementing SDG 5 on Gender Equality in local governments in Guatemala Resúmen Este informe de investigación mapea el uso de diferentes mecanismos para incorporar la igualdad de género en 30 municipios de Guatemala. El estudio investiga los niveles de apoyo institucional, participación política, violencia sexual, empleo y políticas de cambio climático, en relación…
Implementando el ODS 5 sobre la igualdad de género entre los gobiernos locales en Colombia
English title: Implementing SDG 5 on Gender Equality in local governments in Colombia Resúmen Este informe de investigación mapea el uso de diferentes mecanismos para transversalizar la igualdad de género en 38 municipios de Colombia. El estudio investiga los niveles de apoyo institucional, participación política, violencia sexual, empleo y políticas de cambio climático, en relación…
Political Will for Anti-Corruption Reform: Communicative pathways to collective action in Ukraine
Why do some local public authorities engage in meaningful and sustained anti-corruption efforts while elsewhere such initiatives falter? To address this question, we advance a definition of political will as it relates to anti-corruption reforms and examine six local settings in Ukraine which showed sustained reform effort between 2014 and 2021. While previous conceptualisations see…
Research report: Whose voice matters? Inclusion in local decision-making in Kenya and Lebanon
This research report compares how local inclusion and participation is connected to citizen influence in two post-conflict societies. This report highlight the special circumstances in a society with experience of armed conflict and deep societal divides. While inclusion is crucial to local democracy, this research also shows the risk of perpetuating conflictual divides. It warns…
Inclusion and participation of marginalised groups in local democracy in rural Zimbabwe
This study on the extent of marginalised groups’ participation in local democracy in rural Zimbabwe adopts a mixed research approach: data were gathered through self-administered questionnaires, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and document review. Results show that varied mechanisms exist – including the national Constitution, policies, and institutional frameworks – that allow for the…
The Role of Social Norms in Reducing Corruption in Education: A Case Study of Schools in Hanoi-Vietnam
This research report presents empirical findings from an ethnographic study of the role of informal social norms in reducing corruption in public and private schools in Hanoi. The study begins by building a theoretical framework that inculcates the significance of local informal social norms in analysing/understanding corruption and designing counteraction strategies, especially at the sub-national…
From inclusion and transparency, to equity and quality: How can we improve local budget processes?
The objective of this project is to investigate how equitable, inclusive, transparent and accountable budget processes are at local government level and to propose measures for their improvement. The analysis included four pilot municipalities in North Macedonia, selected to represent different geographic locations and socio-economic characteristics. We employed different methods to assess the current state…
Reporting on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Sweden: VLRs and their implications for local democracy
In 2021, four Swedish municipalities – Helsingborg, Malmö, Stockholm, and Uppsala – published their first Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), a report on the status of local implementation of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). VLRs have become a common instrument for subnational governments to show progress in the achievement…
