Administrative Decentralisation, Bureaucratic Discretion and Pro-poor Service Delivery in Zanzibar Local Government

Abstract

Administrative decentralisation and bureaucratic discretion have recently become a significant focus in lo-
cal government studies. Interest in this area has increased due to extensive evidence indicating that decen-
tralisation reforms adopted by many countries worldwide have not sufficiently enhanced bureaucratic dis-
cretion to improve service delivery at the local level. This paper therefore examines the level of bureau-
cratic discretion in Zanzibar’s local government and the extent to which such discretion either facilitates or
limits service delivery, particularly in the West A. Municipal Council in Zanzibar. The current study em-
ployed a mixed-methods approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative techniques, with a sample of
75 respondents. The sample was selected through non-proportionate stratified simple random sampling for
descriptive analysis, while 25 respondents were chosen purposively for in-depth interviews. Findings indi-
cate that administrative decentralisation was introduced in Zanzibar through policy and legal reforms over
the past 12 years, involving three policy sectors in a pilot study aimed at implementing decentralisation by
devolution reforms. However, the current government administration reverted to a centralised system for
critical government functions. Through district authorities, the Central Government Ministry determines
and instructs on the content of plans and programmes at the Shehia level – the lowest administrative layer
in local government. Based on these findings, the study recommends granting local government authorities’
greater administrative discretion and limiting the powers of the central government by ensuring adherence
to the existing institutional framework.