The process of decentralizing public administration: Insights from new local governments in Nepal

Federalism offers countries an opportunity to tailor public services to local needs, yet few studies examine the transition process itself. Nepal began its transition to federalism in 2015, decentralizing governance of key sectors. This study, based on in‐depth interviews with local leaders across f...

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Main Authors: Palikhe, Aruna, Maharjan, Nanda Kumar, Kyle, Jordan, Pradhan, Mamata, Adhikari, Madan
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Wiley 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175046
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author Palikhe, Aruna
Maharjan, Nanda Kumar
Kyle, Jordan
Pradhan, Mamata
Adhikari, Madan
author_browse Adhikari, Madan
Kyle, Jordan
Maharjan, Nanda Kumar
Palikhe, Aruna
Pradhan, Mamata
author_facet Palikhe, Aruna
Maharjan, Nanda Kumar
Kyle, Jordan
Pradhan, Mamata
Adhikari, Madan
author_sort Palikhe, Aruna
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Federalism offers countries an opportunity to tailor public services to local needs, yet few studies examine the transition process itself. Nepal began its transition to federalism in 2015, decentralizing governance of key sectors. This study, based on in‐depth interviews with local leaders across five provinces, explores the challenges and opportunities of this shift within the agricultural sector. Findings highlight key administrative, fiscal, and political challenges, including staffing shortages, limited fiscal resources and autonomy, and coordination gaps between local and national policy planning. Despite these hurdles, decentralized policy planning has strengthened citizen participation, and respondents remain optimistic about federalism. We conclude with policy recommendations to support Nepal's federal transition and draw broader lessons for other countries undertaking similar reforms.
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spelling CGSpace1750462025-10-26T12:56:38Z The process of decentralizing public administration: Insights from new local governments in Nepal Palikhe, Aruna Maharjan, Nanda Kumar Kyle, Jordan Pradhan, Mamata Adhikari, Madan decentralization public administration local government federalism public services Federalism offers countries an opportunity to tailor public services to local needs, yet few studies examine the transition process itself. Nepal began its transition to federalism in 2015, decentralizing governance of key sectors. This study, based on in‐depth interviews with local leaders across five provinces, explores the challenges and opportunities of this shift within the agricultural sector. Findings highlight key administrative, fiscal, and political challenges, including staffing shortages, limited fiscal resources and autonomy, and coordination gaps between local and national policy planning. Despite these hurdles, decentralized policy planning has strengthened citizen participation, and respondents remain optimistic about federalism. We conclude with policy recommendations to support Nepal's federal transition and draw broader lessons for other countries undertaking similar reforms. 2025-08 2025-06-10T18:49:51Z 2025-06-10T18:49:51Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175046 en Limited Access Wiley Palikhe, Aruna; Kyle, Jordan; Maharjan, Nanda Kumar; Pradhan, Mamata; and Adhikari, Madan. 2025. The process of decentralizing public administration: Insights from new local governments in Nepal. Public Administration and Development 45(3): 317-322. https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.2112
spellingShingle decentralization
public administration
local government
federalism
public services
Palikhe, Aruna
Maharjan, Nanda Kumar
Kyle, Jordan
Pradhan, Mamata
Adhikari, Madan
The process of decentralizing public administration: Insights from new local governments in Nepal
title The process of decentralizing public administration: Insights from new local governments in Nepal
title_full The process of decentralizing public administration: Insights from new local governments in Nepal
title_fullStr The process of decentralizing public administration: Insights from new local governments in Nepal
title_full_unstemmed The process of decentralizing public administration: Insights from new local governments in Nepal
title_short The process of decentralizing public administration: Insights from new local governments in Nepal
title_sort process of decentralizing public administration insights from new local governments in nepal
topic decentralization
public administration
local government
federalism
public services
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175046
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