The State of Participatory Local Democracy

From 2012-2014, the United Nations Democracy Fund supported The Hunger Project to build a community of practice on Participatory Local Democracy. This community was mobilized to comprise dozens of local pro-democracy civil society groups in more than 70 countries.

Following a series of regional meetings in Africa, Asia and Latin America in 2012, a small secretariat team in Washington DC developed a multidimensional Participatory Local Democracy Index and solicited input from all participating countries to issue State of Participatory Local Democracy Reports during the 2013 and 2014 UN General Assembly.

UNDEF does not “renew” grants – it intends to make a catalytic investment, and with this project they succeeded. It led directly to the launch of the Movement for Community-led Development alongside the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015.

Posts on this site

  • Introducing the RDLG Bibliographic Database

    Introducing the RDLG Bibliographic Database

    We are pleased to announce that the Rural Decentralization and Local Government (RDLG) Database, with its 1600 bibliographic entries – is now part of this website. The Royal Tropical Institute in the Netherlands has, for many years, supported its development and operation within its KIT Information and Library Services. When the services closed in August 2013 due…

    Read more


  • Lessons on strengthening capacity

    Abstract: Podcasts of 5-10 minute interviews with sector professionals sharing the lessons that they have learned on strengthening capacity for local governance in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). The participants are from Uganda, Ghana, Nepal, and Bolivia. Folder also contains text summaries. Author(s): IRC [International Reference Centre For Community Water Supply And Sanitation] Source(s): ,…

    Read more


  • Designing rules for demand-driven rural investment funds : the Latin American experience

    Abstract: The demand-driven rural investment fund (DRIFs) is a mechanism for decentralizing decision-making authority and financial resources to local governments and communities. This study explores how well-designed DRIF rules could substitute for central veto power. Author(s): Wiens, Thomas; Guadagni, Maurizio Source(s): , World bank technical paper; 407 xix, 69 p., ill., graphs, tabs, 28 cm…

    Read more


  • Rethinking decentralization in developing countries

    Abstract: This paper explores how a wide range of variables – institutional ones in particular – can affect decentralization efforts and how policies and incentives can be designed to improve outcomes. The question of capacity is also discussed. Author(s): Litvack, Jennie Ilene; Ahmad, Junaid; Bird, Richard Miller Source(s): , Sector studies series / World bank…

    Read more


  • Historical development of local government

    Abstract: The local government system of Ghana is described. Subjects include: historical development; decentralisation policy; structure of the new local government system; sub-district political & administrative structures; committees of district assemblies; and, implementation issues. Author(s): Source(s): , 28 p., ill., tab Published: 1997 Institute of local government studies (ILGS), Accra (English ISBN/ISSN: / Link: http://www.ilgs-edu.org/pdf/localgovsys.pdf

    Read more