Challenging limitations for achieving decentralization in terms of participatory planning in developing countries, case study: Egypt

Abstract

Local governments, upon new roles and responsibilities regarding decentralization for achieving democracy, called for participatory planning and participatory budgeting approaches. However, many developing countries suffer from challenging limitations imposed by their local development laws. In this respect, the paper aims at elaborating a coherent understanding of the current process of governance in Egypt as one of the developing countries, in an attempt to identify the different roles of all stakeholders to enable determining the most appropriate intervention, and capacity building programs to achieve the decentralization. This would be presented through a precise analysis for the institutional framework, the planning and budgeting process in view of the strategic regional and local plans that are prepared for these levels, and the local participation of citizens, on application on Ismailia Governorate, as a pilot study. Accordingly, the paper comes out with results mapping out the technical challenges involved with the current system of planning and budgeting, together with analyzing the institutional changes that guarantee the integration of community participation. © 2011 WIT Press.