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Exploring Urban Governance in Ethiopia: Institutional Principles of Non-state Actors’ Engagement

Received: 13 April 2022    Accepted: 9 May 2022    Published: 19 May 2022
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Abstract

The purpose of this article is to look in to the institutional principles that encourage non-state actors (NSAs’) to participate in urban infrastructure and services. This article uses a qualitative research approach to achieve the purpose of the research. To acquire qualitative data, qualitative techniques such as interviews, focus groups, document analysis, and key informant interviews were used. The findings of the study indicate that NSAs’ engagements are governed by legal and policy provisions in the case study urban local governments (ULGs’). In spite of the aforementioned provisions, there have been imbalances in these provisions to safely deal with the involvement of NSAs’ in urban infrastructure service provisions. Furthermore, there was a significant disconnect between legal/policy provisions and their execution. The case study ULGs’ lacked the necessary resources to carry out constitutional provisions relating to the involvement of NSAs’ in urban infrastructure services. Consequently, the institutional environment might impede the role of NSAs’ engagement to improve decentralized development policy. The case study ULGs’ general institutional situation was pathetic to encourage the involvement of NSAs’ in urban infrastructure service provisions. The traditional top-down approach to institutional assistance was incompatible with the bottom-up nature of partnership development. There was significant gap in institutionalizing the involvement of NSAs’ in urban infrastructure service provisions although there have been proper efforts to institutionalize their engagement. This case study, therefore, contends that to guide NSAs’ involvement and the sharing of the merit of partnership development, unambiguous norms and regulations must be established. These laws and regulations must give the NSAs’ the freedom to engage in the activities of development and make judgments. Besides, this article contends that in order to fulfill their obligation to facilitate NSAs’ engagements, the case study ULGs’ require extensive manpower development. The development of manpower must concentrate on developing competent personnel and a welcoming institutional culture. The ULGs’ should have given sufficient powers and responsibilities over infrastructure service provisions.

Published in American Journal of Management Science and Engineering (Volume 7, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajmse.20220702.11
Page(s) 6-13
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

State Actors, NSAs’ Institution, ULG, Infrastructure Services

References
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[2] Bevir, M. (Ed.). (2009). Key Concepts in Governance. London: Sage.
[3] British Council. (2015). Update Mapping Non-State Actors in Ethiopia. A research study commissioned by the European Union.
[4] Claridge, G., & Claridge, C. L. (1997). Expanding the role of collaborative management and stewardship in the conservation management of Australia's Marine and Coastal Resources. Department of the Environment.
[5] Cook, B., & Kothari, U. (2001). The case for participation as tyranny. Participation: The new tyranny, 1-15. Zed Books.
[6] Cresswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Method Approaches. United States of America: Sage Publications.
[7] Debub NegaritGazeta of Southern Nations Nationalities and peoples Regional State (SNNPR): The revised cities proclamation: Proclamation No. 103 (2006).
[8] Federal NegaritGazeta of the Federal Democratic Republic Ethiopia: The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Proclamation No. 1(1995).
[9] FentaMandefiro (2007), Local Governance Network and Service Development in Amhara and Tigray Regional States. Doctoral dissertation.
[10] Gamble, Andrew (2000) Economic Governance. In Pierre, Jon (2000) Debating Governance. Authority, Steering and Democracy (pp. 110-137). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[11] German Advisory Council on Global Change (1997). Local government implementation of Agenda 21. Ways Towards Sustainable Management of Freshwater Resources: Annual Report.
[12] Goss, S. (2001) Making Local Governance Work: Networks, Relationships and the Management of Change. New York: Palgrave.
[13] Helmsing, A. H. J. (2000) Decentralization and Enablement: Issues in the Local Governance Debate. Utrecht: University of Utrecht.
[14] Johannes, J. (2003). Institutions and development: a critical review (No. 210). OECD Development Centre Working Paper.
[15] Magalata Oromia: A proclamation to amend Proclamation No 65 (2003) the urban local government of Oromia National Regional State Proclamation No. 116 (2006).
[16] Myers, G. (Ed.). (2011). African Cities: Alternative Visions of Urban Theory and Practice. London, New York: Zed Books.
[17] North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, institutional change and economic performance. Cambridge university press.
[18] Obeng-Odoom, F. 2013. Governance for pro-poor urban development: Lessons from Ghana. First ed. London: Routledge.
[19] Pierre, Jon & Peters, B. Guy (2000) Governance, Politics and the State. Basingstoke: Macmillan, New York: St. Martin's.
[20] Shah, I. A., & Baporikar, N. (2012). Participatory approach to development in Pakistan. Journal of Economic and Social Studies, 2 (1), 111-141.
[21] Smith, B. L. (2003). Public policy and public participation: engaging citizens and community in the development of public policy. Health Canada.
[22] Thompson, J. (1995). Participatory approaches in government bureaucracies: Facilitating the process of institutional change. World Development, 23 (9), 1521-1554.
[23] TsegayeTegenu. (2006). Evaluation of the Operation and Performance of Ethnic Decentraliation System in Ethiopia. Addis Ababa University Press.
[24] United Nations Development Programme. 2005. Pro-poor urban governance: Lessons from LIFE 1992-2005. New York.
[25] United Nations Development Programm. 1997. Governance for Sustainable Human Development (New York: UNDP).
[26] UN-Habitat. 2002. Global Campaign on Urban Governance: Concept Paper. Nairobi, UN-Habitat.
[27] World Bank. (1992). Governance and Development. Washington DC: World Bank.
[28] Yeshanew, S. A. (2012). CSO Law in Ethiopia: Considering its Constraints and Consequences. Journal of Civil Society, 8 (4), 369-384.
[29] ZikreHig of the Amhara National Regional State in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia: A proclamation of the urban local government of ANRS Proclamation No. 65 (2003).
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Mengistu Gutema Kebede, Solomon Negussie. (2022). Exploring Urban Governance in Ethiopia: Institutional Principles of Non-state Actors’ Engagement. American Journal of Management Science and Engineering, 7(2), 6-13. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajmse.20220702.11

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    ACS Style

    Mengistu Gutema Kebede; Solomon Negussie. Exploring Urban Governance in Ethiopia: Institutional Principles of Non-state Actors’ Engagement. Am. J. Manag. Sci. Eng. 2022, 7(2), 6-13. doi: 10.11648/j.ajmse.20220702.11

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    AMA Style

    Mengistu Gutema Kebede, Solomon Negussie. Exploring Urban Governance in Ethiopia: Institutional Principles of Non-state Actors’ Engagement. Am J Manag Sci Eng. 2022;7(2):6-13. doi: 10.11648/j.ajmse.20220702.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajmse.20220702.11,
      author = {Mengistu Gutema Kebede and Solomon Negussie},
      title = {Exploring Urban Governance in Ethiopia: Institutional Principles of Non-state Actors’ Engagement},
      journal = {American Journal of Management Science and Engineering},
      volume = {7},
      number = {2},
      pages = {6-13},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajmse.20220702.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajmse.20220702.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajmse.20220702.11},
      abstract = {The purpose of this article is to look in to the institutional principles that encourage non-state actors (NSAs’) to participate in urban infrastructure and services. This article uses a qualitative research approach to achieve the purpose of the research. To acquire qualitative data, qualitative techniques such as interviews, focus groups, document analysis, and key informant interviews were used. The findings of the study indicate that NSAs’ engagements are governed by legal and policy provisions in the case study urban local governments (ULGs’). In spite of the aforementioned provisions, there have been imbalances in these provisions to safely deal with the involvement of NSAs’ in urban infrastructure service provisions. Furthermore, there was a significant disconnect between legal/policy provisions and their execution. The case study ULGs’ lacked the necessary resources to carry out constitutional provisions relating to the involvement of NSAs’ in urban infrastructure services. Consequently, the institutional environment might impede the role of NSAs’ engagement to improve decentralized development policy. The case study ULGs’ general institutional situation was pathetic to encourage the involvement of NSAs’ in urban infrastructure service provisions. The traditional top-down approach to institutional assistance was incompatible with the bottom-up nature of partnership development. There was significant gap in institutionalizing the involvement of NSAs’ in urban infrastructure service provisions although there have been proper efforts to institutionalize their engagement. This case study, therefore, contends that to guide NSAs’ involvement and the sharing of the merit of partnership development, unambiguous norms and regulations must be established. These laws and regulations must give the NSAs’ the freedom to engage in the activities of development and make judgments. Besides, this article contends that in order to fulfill their obligation to facilitate NSAs’ engagements, the case study ULGs’ require extensive manpower development. The development of manpower must concentrate on developing competent personnel and a welcoming institutional culture. The ULGs’ should have given sufficient powers and responsibilities over infrastructure service provisions.},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Exploring Urban Governance in Ethiopia: Institutional Principles of Non-state Actors’ Engagement
    AU  - Mengistu Gutema Kebede
    AU  - Solomon Negussie
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    JF  - American Journal of Management Science and Engineering
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    AB  - The purpose of this article is to look in to the institutional principles that encourage non-state actors (NSAs’) to participate in urban infrastructure and services. This article uses a qualitative research approach to achieve the purpose of the research. To acquire qualitative data, qualitative techniques such as interviews, focus groups, document analysis, and key informant interviews were used. The findings of the study indicate that NSAs’ engagements are governed by legal and policy provisions in the case study urban local governments (ULGs’). In spite of the aforementioned provisions, there have been imbalances in these provisions to safely deal with the involvement of NSAs’ in urban infrastructure service provisions. Furthermore, there was a significant disconnect between legal/policy provisions and their execution. The case study ULGs’ lacked the necessary resources to carry out constitutional provisions relating to the involvement of NSAs’ in urban infrastructure services. Consequently, the institutional environment might impede the role of NSAs’ engagement to improve decentralized development policy. The case study ULGs’ general institutional situation was pathetic to encourage the involvement of NSAs’ in urban infrastructure service provisions. The traditional top-down approach to institutional assistance was incompatible with the bottom-up nature of partnership development. There was significant gap in institutionalizing the involvement of NSAs’ in urban infrastructure service provisions although there have been proper efforts to institutionalize their engagement. This case study, therefore, contends that to guide NSAs’ involvement and the sharing of the merit of partnership development, unambiguous norms and regulations must be established. These laws and regulations must give the NSAs’ the freedom to engage in the activities of development and make judgments. Besides, this article contends that in order to fulfill their obligation to facilitate NSAs’ engagements, the case study ULGs’ require extensive manpower development. The development of manpower must concentrate on developing competent personnel and a welcoming institutional culture. The ULGs’ should have given sufficient powers and responsibilities over infrastructure service provisions.
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Author Information
  • Center of Federal Studies, College of Governance and Law, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

  • Center of Federal Studies, College of Governance and Law, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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