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The energy transition towards a renewable energy based society and a sustainable development, is an urgent shifting process in the light of climate change and environmental pollution. However, few fossil fuel based corporations are controlling energy systems, generating most of the energy society consumes. In response to this, the idea of democratizing energy has been gaining importance. Publicly owned energy, democratic participation and decentralization of energy generation are ideas that “energy democracy” stands for. The main aim of this study was to determine if and how the combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Växjö, Sweden, is related to energy democracy. The energy plant is owned by the municipality of Växjö and runs on biomass provided by the forestry industry. Eight interviews were conducted with stakeholders from the municipality of Växjö, the energy company and civil society.This research revealed that energy democracy is taking place in the case study, which provides several benefits. Nevertheless, some impacts were found that would require further research. Regarding ecological concerns, it was revealed that the forestry activity in the Kronoberg Region providing the biomass to the CHP plant is not as sustainable as it might seem. This might have an important effect on the sustainability of the energy generation.The study concludes that one of the main drivers for the democratization of energy in Växjö is the strong local governance.

General characteristics and relevance of the topic. In 1995’s issue of the scientific journal Public Administration Review Robert D. Behn (1995) referring to the analogy of the science of physics formulated three major questions which, in his opinion, scholars of public management should be concerned about in the 21st century. One of them was the measurement question: how public managers can measure the achievements of their agencies in ways that help to increase those achievements? After a decade the emergence of multitude of books and articles in scientific journals, changes in public sector organizations caused by implementation of models of performance measurement, performance management and quality management, governmental initiatives to implement performance measurement programmes just confirm the Behn insight on the importance of performance measurement in public organizations. For many years performance measurement as one of the major tools in the package of the New Public Management reforms has remained a significant ‘management fashion’ (Abrahamson, 1996) and scholars as well as practicians of traditionally more developed countries of the English speaking world and the Continental Western Europe are well aware of it. The fashion gradually comes to the post-communist Central European countries which recently joined the European Union or are in the way of doing so and which learn from the experience of more ‘advanced” countries in different areas of public... [to full text] / Bendroji temos charakteristika ir aktualumas. 1995-aisiais metais Robertas D. Behnas (1995) žurnale Public Administration Review, pasiremdamas fizikos mokslų analogija, suformulavo tris didžiuosius klausimus, kurie, jo požiūriu, turėtų rūpėti viešajai vadybai XXI-ame amžiuje. Vienas iš jų buvo matavimo klausimas: kokiais būdais viešųjų organizacijų vadovai gali matuoti jų vadovaujamų įstaigų pasiekimus, kad matavimas pasiekimus teigiamai veiktų? Prabėgus dešimtmečiui nuo Behno straipsnio pasirodymo, daugybė knygų ir straipsnių moksliniuose žurnaluose, viešojo sektoriaus organizacijų pokyčiai, kuriuos sąlygoja diegiami veiklos matavimo, veiklos vadybos ir kokybės vadybos modeliai, įvairių šalių Vyriausybių iniciatyvos įgyvendinti veiklos matavimo programas tik patvirtina Behno įžvalgą apie viešųjų organizacijų veiklos matavimo svarbą. Veiklos matavimas (angl. performance measurement), viena iš pagrindinių Naujosios viešosios vadybos reformų paketo priemonių, daugelį metų išlieka reikšminga „vadybos mada”, kuria seka mokslininkai ir praktikai tradiciškai labiau išsivysčiusiomis vadinamose angliškai kalbančio pasaulio ir kontinentinės Vakarų Europos šalyse. Ši mada pamažu ateina ir į po-komunistines Vidurio Europos šalis, kurios neseniai tapo ar planuoja tapti Europos S���jungos narėmis, ir kurios įvairiose viešojo administravimo srityse perima ‘pažangesnių” šalių patirtį. Lietuvos viešojo sektoriaus organizacijos, tarp jų ir savivaldybės, taip pat dalyvauja minėtame patirties... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

<p><font face="Cambria" size="3"><font face="Cambria" size="3"><font face="Cambria" size="3"><font face="Cambria" size="3"><font face="Cambria" size="3"><font face="Cambria" size="3"> <p>The objective of the study was to find out whether the decentralisation of responsibulities for social economics development facilitated the management of disaster risk during the 2007 floods in Mozambique. the specific aims of the study were to : analyse <font face="Cambria" size="3"><font face="Cambria" size="3">and discuss national policies for decentralisation and their significance for DRM.&nbsp / Investigate which responsibilities, human and financial resources were available to local governments&nbsp / for the planning, implemantations and monitoring of DRM activities. Identify&nbsp / mechanisms institutions and activities for DRM and&nbsp / find out whether they provided to be effective. Explore how concerned&nbsp / communities participated in DRM activitiesto reduce&nbsp / their vulnerability to disaster risk.&nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / </font></font><font face="SymbolMT" size="3"><font face="SymbolMT" size="3"> <p>&nbsp / </p> </font></font>&nbsp / </p> <p>&nbsp / </p> <p>&nbsp / </p> <p>&nbsp / </p> <p>&nbsp / </p> </font></font></font></font></font></font></p> <p>&nbsp / </p>

The study did a systemic analysis of eThekwini Municipality's design for effectiveness looking at community participation in local governance. The study was conducted by using Participatory Action Research methodology. The researcherwas able to determine emergent themes. The findings revealed that firstly, people view the Municipality's system of governance as unresponsive. This is because of lack of effective mechanisms of communication between the councillors, officials and the communities. Moreover, there is lack of delivery of services to the community, resulting in people feeling that their needs are not being addressed; therefore there being no need to participate. Secondly, there is also a general feeling that local government does not consult with the people when taking decisions on crucial matters. Thirdly, there is uncertainty about whether community inputs have any influence on decision-making. This concern was expressed in a variety of ways, including the feeling that their input did not matter because the essential decision 'appears' to have already been made before the participation process commencesor ends. Fourthly, there is overwhelming evidence that there is a direct correlation between participation levels and unhappiness and dissatisfaction around the levels of service delivery of the municipality. Lastly people at the grassroots level do not have knowledge on how government structures function. This makes it difficult for them to have meaningful and effective means of participation. All the undesirable effects outlined above, provide a sound and compelling basis on justification for a Community Participation Policy design. While the legislation prescribing citizen and community abounds, local government authorities have remained indifferent; or they have not been visible in pursuing methods and mechanisms that foster citizen participation in project management and decision making processes. As a result of this study, the Council has made the amendment of Section 12 of the Municipal Structures Act to ensure that eThekwini Municipality becomes a ward participatory type of municipality. Also, community participation policy has been developed to change the present situation or context that invited the problem on ineffective participation. The policy aims at changing mindsets for municipal officials so that they take the issue of involving communities more seriously. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of Kwazulu Natal, 2005.

The goal of this research is to disclose constitutional elements of local governance. In reference to the second tier – county, the Lithuanian constitution stipulates that the government according to procedures established by law organizes higher level administrative units. The point of analysis is Lithuanian local government concept and system, territorial administrative reforms, relationship between local self-government and the second tier of the state government. The same point of view is used to review and compare Lithuanian and Slovenian territorial administrative organization, implemented in both constitutions. The study although provides analysis of Lithuanian county policy, its formation and implementation prior restoration of independence.

<p><font face="Cambria" size="3"><font face="Cambria" size="3"><font face="Cambria" size="3"><font face="Cambria" size="3"><font face="Cambria" size="3"><font face="Cambria" size="3"> <p>The objective of the study was to find out whether the decentralisation of responsibulities for social economics development facilitated the management of disaster risk during the 2007 floods in Mozambique. the specific aims of the study were to : analyse <font face="Cambria" size="3"><font face="Cambria" size="3">and discuss national policies for decentralisation and their significance for DRM.&nbsp / Investigate which responsibilities, human and financial resources were available to local governments&nbsp / for the planning, implemantations and monitoring of DRM activities. Identify&nbsp / mechanisms institutions and activities for DRM and&nbsp / find out whether they provided to be effective. Explore how concerned&nbsp / communities participated in DRM activitiesto reduce&nbsp / their vulnerability to disaster risk.&nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / </font></font><font face="SymbolMT" size="3"><font face="SymbolMT" size="3"> <p>&nbsp / </p> </font></font>&nbsp / </p> <p>&nbsp / </p> <p>&nbsp / </p> <p>&nbsp / </p> <p>&nbsp / </p> </font></font></font></font></font></font></p> <p>&nbsp / </p>

This is a study of urban mobility, where urban areas are defined as diverse and complex locations with a metabolism composed of multiple components and subsystems. Currently, more than 60% of the world’s population live in urban areas, a number expected to grow significantly. Most cities are unsustainable and often in ecological deficit; cities over- consume or pollute their natural resources, while unequal distribution of resources also occur. Thus, leading to serious economic and social imbalances, something that is possible to appreciate in developing nation-states. With population growth and economic concentration in urban areas, transport policies are forcing governments to seek innovative solutions for shaping and re-shaping existing and future transportation systems. Transport infrastructure related to congestion, accidents, local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) is a challenge for many major cities in the world. This study covers the political and socio-economical processes with regards to the environmental challenges in the Peruvian transport system. It includes an analysis of the strategies and indicators of good governance by the central, metropolitan and local governments, with the aim of identifying the main drivers and barriers to improving the current transport system in Lima. It is important to highlight that urban mobility is an important component of urban planning and is constituted by the urban transport system, land use, traffic management, inter-modality, accessibility and public space management, among other things. The appropriate approach to urban mobility joins the vision of a city with citizenship (Ministerio de Vivienda 2016). From an Urban Political Ecology (UPE) perspective, one can appreciate that the transport system in Lima seems directly derived from complex social, economic and political relations and where environmental challenges are less vocal (Robbins 2012). And seen from the Entrepreneurial or innovative state and as described by Schumpeter, the role that a state or governments hold is crucial in a well-functioning society in the context of a capitalism society. An efficient government is vital in providing goods and services, rules and institutions for ensuring that the market grows, as well as directing citizens to a more prosperous life. Without such a government, sustainable development in social and economical aspects is impossible. However, the results of this study not only presents several challenges to the structure of the national, regional and local governments in Lima, but also the various dimensions to these challenges that exist. These insights are important to highlight and address, as moving towards an urban transformation that is sustainable and durable will require considerable intervention from governments to achieve substantial reductions in GHG emissions.

My dissertation investigates the effects of citizen participation and subnational fiscal arrangements on the success of fiscal decentralization efforts in Vietnam. Using cluster analysis and regression analysis, I find that the success of decentralization efforts, explains not only by the degree of decentralized fiscal responsibilities and the proximity of local government, but also by the involvement of citizens in service delivery. I further identify that the sheer existence of participatory mechanisms in local service delivery does not promise better service provision. In some cases, participation may hurt such provision. My dissertation provides a unique glimpse into the effects of citizen participation in a highly centralized political system. The results of this dissertation contribute to the study of public governance in Asia and the broader comparative literature on decentralization.

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil / Introduction: The appointment of special interest councillors in terms of section 4A of the Urban Councils Act has encountered much opposition from residents in many urban areas.8 The appointment has also attracted public attention, especially through the media which has highlighted the plight of urban councils most of which have failed to contend with additional unelected personnel on their payrolls. There has also been a claim that the process of appointing special interest councillors may be or that it is being abused.9 What has further exacerbated this situation is the fact that there is no legal provision to check the powers of the Minister, leaving room for the anipulation of the powers to appoint.10 Since the enactment of section 4A of the Urban Councils Act (UCA) in April 2008, numerous elected councillors and mayors belonging to the MDC have been dismissed, or summarily suspended pending dismissal to justify the appointment of special interest councillors over and above elected councillors. At the same time the Minister seeks to discredit the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) councillors as incompetent to gain political mileage for the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF).11 The rampant dismissal and suspension of MDC-T (the MDC faction led by Mr Morgan Tsvangirai) councillors and mayors and dissolving urban councils has led to allegations that the Minister seeks to weaken MDC in urban local councils and to justify the existence of special interest councillors in urban councils. By highlighting and examining the implications of these appointments on urban governance and the general functioning of urban local councils, the researcher will be able to assess the practice of appointing special interest councillors against internationally accepted norms. / South Africa