HCER0012-1 : Decentralisation and good governance in Developing Countries

University of Liege | Version française

Study programmes 2013-2014

Last update : 13/05/2014

HCER0012-1

Decentralisation and good governance in Developing Countries

Duration :

12h Th

Number of credits :

Certificat d'université en Développement et Coopération internationale		2

Lecturer :

Geoffroy Matagne, Pierre Verjans

Coordinator :

Gautier Pirotte

Language(s) of instruction :

French language

Organisation and examination :

Teaching in the second semester

Course contents :

In recent decades, the mainstream development discourse highlights two concepts: decentralization and (good) governance. The so-called developing countries are often forced to reform along those lines in order to benefit from aid programs and special treatments in world trade. The term governance is derived from the need for comparability of international capitalism in the 1970s and 80s. A knowledge of its semantic and political history allows us to understand the ideological weight of the conditionnalities imposed on the poor and the international balance of power within contemporary capitalism. (6 hours) Another requirement for the so-called developing countries is decentralization in order to reduce the weight of the central government on territorial development, to reduce predation capabilities of the center on the periphery. The official discourse of international cooperation agencies legitimizing claims that corruption is curbed by a better local control exercised by taxpayers and voters on leaders, when power is given to local entities rather than when they receive their orders from the central government. In light of some recent events this assertion is doubtful. (3 hours) Decentralization can be analyzed using concrete examples and the Democratic Republic of Congo can be studied for this purpose. Since the tension between federalists and unitarians from the 1960s until 2006, the question of centralization or decentralization of power remains central DRC. We will try to see how texts (constitution, legislations) are implemented according to central, provincial or even local political strategies. (3 hours)

Learning outcomes of the course :

The course aims at giving students:

a knowledge of the concepts of decentralization and governance in relation with development policies.
analytical tools for analyzing empirical cases.

Prerequisites and co-requisites/ Recommended optional programme components :

Planned learning activities and teaching methods :

The course will be given by way of interactive lectures. During one session, students will work in small groups on a case study.

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :

Face-to-face