Aug 2026· Journal of Research in Education and Pedagogy· 0 citations· 53 references
Abstract
Centralized governance frameworks in developing economies frequently generate a fundamental tension between national policy coherence and the operational responsiveness required by diverse local labor markets. In Laos, this tension is acutely manifest within the administration of Vocational Education (VE), where provincial and district authorities bear expanding implementation responsibilities without commensurate transfers of fiscal authority, administrative capacity, or technical expertise. This study critically examines the administration models operationalized within local VE governance in Laos, identifies the structural constraints limiting their effectiveness, and proposes an evidence-grounded five-component governance reform framework. Employing a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, the study integrates quantitative survey data from 781 stakeholders across all provinces, comprising local government officials, VE administrators, educators, and industry representatives, with semi-structured qualitative interviews and systematic policy document analysis. Quantitative findings reveal that administrative model typology (centralized, decentralized, hybrid) accounts for less than 2% of the variance in perceived governance effectiveness, whereas process-level governance qualities, institutional autonomy, stakeholder participation, decentralization depth, and resource adequacy jointly account for 56% of the variance in perceived suitability. Public-Private Partnership (PPP) strength emerges as the strongest predictor of institutional effectiveness. Qualitative findings illuminate the mechanisms underlying these patterns: local authorities function as pragmatic brokers, navigating structural rigidities through informal networks and discretionary project-based initiatives that remain institutionally unsustainable and inequitably distributed. The study identifies a centralization-responsiveness paradox wherein ceremonially adopted decentralization policies coexist with functionally centralized operations, generating accountability ambiguities and inequitable governance costs. Grounded analytically in institutional theory, decentralization theory, and human capital theory, the proposed framework integrates reconstituted multi-level governance architecture, institutionalized demand-side engagement, equitable financing, systematic capacity development, and rigorous performance accountability. Implications are discussed for policymakers, development partners, and VE administrators in comparable transitional economies.
Bangladesh has undergone substantial administrative restructuring since its independence in 1971, yet systemic governance deficits persist across its bureaucratic apparatus. Most existing evaluations, however, are either macro-institutional overviews or narrow, single-sector assessments, and rarely combine citizen-level survey evidence, elite qualitative testimony, and formal statistical modelling of satisfaction predictors within one design. This study investigates the effectiveness of public administration in Bangladesh through an explanatory sequential mixed-methods framework, combining a structured questionnaire survey of 1,200 citizens across all eight administrative divisions with 480 key informant interviews drawn from civil servants, policy experts, and civil society representatives. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression, with full coefficient, odds-ratio, and goodness-of-fit reporting, while qualitative findings were processed through thematic analysis and integrated with quantitative results via a joint display. Results indicate that e-governance adoption has improved service delivery indices particularly in urban areas, but rural-urban disparities remain pronounced (rural odds of satisfaction 56% lower than urban, OR = 0.44, 95% CI [0.35, 0.56]). Anti-corruption initiatives show partial gains, with the Control of Corruption indicator improving from −0.99 in 2019 to −0.92 in 2022 on the World Governance Indicators scale, despite comparatively high implementation ratings for several reforms, a decoupling this study examines critically. Citizen satisfaction with public service quality remains low (49.2% dissatisfied overall), driven primarily by bureaucratic delays, bribery, and inadequate decentralisation. Five primary governance challenges are identified, alongside stakeholder-endorsed reform strategies centred on RTI strengthening, digital infrastructure expansion, and civil service ethics reform, which are translated into a prioritised implementation agenda naming responsible institutions and anticipated barriers. The findings contribute to the comparative public administration literature on South Asian and lower-middle-income developing states and offer evidence-based policy recommendations for the Government of Bangladesh.
M. Islam, Sharmin Akhter, Tanvir Ahmed Chowdhury· Administrative Science and P...· 0 citations
Municipal councillors play a central role in South Africa’s local government system, with responsibilities for political leadership, policy direction, financial oversight, and accountability. Despite this, municipalities continue to experience persistent governance failures, including poor audit outcomes, weak oversight, and declining public trust. While existing literature primarily attributes these challenges to councillor capacity constraints, limited attention has been paid to the structural consequences arising from the absence of formalised and enforceable minimum competency standards for elected representatives. This study adopts a qualitative, theory-driven analytical approach, drawing on principal–agent and accountability theory to examine the relationship between political oversight actors and administrative agents. Using secondary data from academic literature, policy frameworks, and institutional reports, the findings indicate that the absence of institutionalised competency standards creates a misalignment between governance responsibilities and councillor capabilities, reinforcing information asymmetries and weakening accountability systems. Furthermore, reliance on voluntary and fragmented capacity-building initiatives limits the effectiveness of political oversight and contributes to persistent governance failures. The findings further indicate that reliance on voluntary and fragmented capacity-building initiatives is insufficient to address systemic governance challenges. Comparative international evidence demonstrates that competency frameworks are most effective when institutionalised and linked directly to governance and accountability mechanisms. The study contributes to the literature by providing a theory-informed, structural explanation of governance failure, and by conceptualising the absence of enforceable competency standards as a critical institutional gap.
Thobile Mhlongo· Journal of Leadership, Strat...· 0 citations
Regional Commissioners (RCs) occupy a strategically important position between Tanzania’s central government and the authorities responsible for district- and council-level implementation. Yet their contribution to sustainable development has received limited empirical attention. This qualitative case study examines how RCs understand and exercise their authority to coordinate development across sectors and administrative levels, and how leadership competence shapes that role. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews with ten serving and five former RCs, supplemented by documentary review and contextual observation, and analysed thematically. Sustainable development is treated not as a single outcome attributable to an individual office-holder, but as a governance process requiring policy integration, territorial equity, institutional continuity, public accountability and attention to long-term social, economic and environmental consequences. Participants portrayed RCs as brokers of national priorities, convenors of sectoral and security institutions, and influential actors in district-level implementation. They also emphasised that formal authority does not produce effective coordination automatically: its developmental value depends on competence, credibility, sectoral knowledge and the capacity to anticipate interactions among policy fields. Concentrated authority can accelerate implementation, but it may also weaken participation and accountability when directives are insufficiently questioned. The study therefore recommends a transparent competency framework, systematic induction, performance assessment and stronger accountability safeguards for RC appointments. It concludes that RCs can enable sustainable regional development, but their contribution remains institutionally mediated and should not be inferred from authority or short-term output gains alone.
Gabriel Adamson King, L. Massoi· Journal of Research and Acad...· 0 citations
This study examines the role of leadership in shaping governance processes, public service delivery, and local development outcomes within decentralized systems in Southeast Asia using a qualitative systematic literature review guided by the PRISMA framework. It synthesizes empirical studies published from 2010 to 2025 focusing on local government institutions in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, and other ASEAN member’s state. Literature searches were conducted through Google Scholar and ProQuest using keywords related to leadership, decentralization, governance, and public service delivery. From 1,000 initially identified records, 895 were excluded during initial screening and 53 were removed after full-text assessment, resulting in 52 studies included in the final synthesis. Findings reveal that leadership plays a central role in translating decentralization reforms into effective governance and development outcomes by strengthening accountability, decision-making, stakeholder engagement, institutional coordination, and service responsiveness. However, leadership effectiveness is highly context-dependent and is shaped by institutional design, political dynamics, administrative capacity, fiscal resources, and patronage or elite influence. The review further shows that even capable leaders may experience limited outcomes when governance systems are weak or politically constrained. The study concludes that improving decentralized governance requires a dual focus on leadership capacity-building and institutional reform, emphasizing ethical governance, participatory leadership, merit-based systems, and accountability mechanisms to support sustainable and inclusive development across Southeast Asia.
Jade Kirby Epis, Asterio Olandria, John Archie Matute· International journal of res...· 0 citations
In rural Tanzania, decentralized education systems often struggle with inequitable financing, yet the role of local political behavior in managing these gaps remains under-examined. This study examined the effect of political leadership on resource allocation for secondary education in Masasi District Council. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach and a descriptive case study design, data were collected from 176 respondents via questionnaires and interviews, then analyzed using thematic analysis and multiple linear regression. The regression results revealed that political prioritization was a significant positive predictor of resource allocation outcomes (β = 0.385, p < 0.001), demonstrating that local leaders' budgeting preferences directly dictate school funding levels. These findings imply that achieving Secondary Education Development Programme (SEDP III) goals requires shifting local political incentives toward equitable resource distribution rather than politically motivated financing.
Keywords: Educational Financing, Decentralized Governance, Local Government Authorities (LGAs), Resource Allocation, Rural School Funding, SEDP III
Reginald S. Ngowi, Revocatus Kabobe Bin’Omukama· International journal of res...· 0 citations
This study examines how curriculum governance structures shape educational innovation and structural alignment with economic responsiveness, comparing Iran’s centralized model with guided decentralization in Germany, Canada, and the United Kingdom. A sequential exploratory mixed-methods design was employed. Phase one applied Bereday’s four-stage comparative model to analyze national policy documents (2015–2023) using directed qualitative content analysis in MAXQDA. Phase two employed a modified three-round Delphi technique with 20 education policy experts (10 national, 10 international) to validate and contextualize findings. Document analysis revealed that Iran’s centralized governance ensures ideological consistency but restricts twenty-first-century skills integration. Conversely, the selected G7 nations employ hybrid models balancing national frameworks with local autonomy, supported by accountability mechanisms such as standardized assessments and inspection regimes. Delphi findings converged on four prerequisites for effective reform: guided decentralization as a viable model, accountability as an enabler of autonomy, systematic stakeholder participation, and local capacity building. For Iran, gradual, phased implementation with trust-building was identified as essential. The study advances the Accountability–Autonomy–Responsiveness (AAR) framework as an analytical heuristic, conceptualizing economic responsiveness as structural potential facilitated by governance coherence rather than a directly measured labor-market outcome. Transitioning toward guided decentralization could enhance structural alignment in Iran, though such reform requires calibrated realignment rather than abrupt devolution. These findings contribute to comparative education governance theory by shifting analytical focus from authority location to the patterned interaction of autonomy, accountability, and institutional capacity.
Amir Toghyani Khorasgani, Ali Toghyani Khorasgani· Discover Education· 0 citations
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