Federalism and Urban Governance: An Explorative Study of Intergovernmental Relations in Cities of Adama and Assosa, Ethiopia
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Date
2017-06
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Abstract
In the contexts of federal/multilevel arrangements and the urbanization processes, the effectiveness of urban governance involves intergovernmental coordination and cooperation. This thesis aims to explore the institutions and practices of IGR in urban governance under the federal system of Ethiopia. Through a comparative analysis of the case cities of Adama and Assosa, it analyses how the contextual factors in which the cities are embedded determine the design of urban institutions, local capacity and their relationship with the regional and neighboring local governments. The thesis also examines how the processes and practices of IGR operate in urban service provisions in the two cities under consideration. The study has used Intergovernmental Relation (IGR) framework as an institutional and practical exploration of urban governance issues in a federal setting. A multilevel research approach and a case study design are employed to analyze the municipal governance architecture, city’s vertical and lateral relationships, and IGR in urban service deliveries. The study has found out that the problem of urban governance is due to a mismatch between the local institutional capacities and functional responsibilities, and the existing institutions and practices of IGR did not empower the cities to bring effective urban service deliveries. The regional states have put the principles including the local autonomy, city’s accountability to the region and the need for cooperation, mutual respect, support and partnership as the basis for relations between the cities and regional states. The analysis, however, shows that the role of IGRs in urban service delivery is hampered due to competing urban visions, unsettled design of urban institutions, blurred regulatory powers over urban space and use of IGR instruments for political expediencies. This study, therefore, contends that the settled institutional status of cities, adequate local capacity, and strong and empowering institutions of IGRs could help for resolving the challenges of urban governance in Ethiopia.
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Federalism, Intergovernmental Relations, Urban Governance, Ethiopian Urban Management