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Decentralisation Reforms - Local Governance Local and Territorial Development Over the last two decades a shift in the understanding of decentralization has occurred, opening the way to a greater, more proactive, developmental role for Local Authorities. This has opened the way to a new understanding of Local Authorities as political actors (i.e. self-government mechanisms of a local political constituency) which are mandated to both help implement national policies in the localities and develop and implement their own local policies, programs and projects and not just “managerial” entities for delivery of a specific set of services. As a consequence Local Authorities are increasingly seen as critically important partners of central governments, who could both implement and supplement national development efforts.

The seminar has three major goals: 1) Clarify the concept of Territorial Approach to Local Development as an analytical framework that can be understood as the missing link between decentralization reforms and development outcomes. 2) Sharpen the understanding of the participants of the political economy of decentralization reforms (DR) in the region, and the conditions under which the reforms may lead to improved local governance (LG) and genuine local development (LD). 3) Recognize the opportunities and constraints that EU delegations may face in promoting Territorial Approach to Local Development (TALD), because of the context in which they operate, the demands of the EU aid management cycle and the aid modalities available to them.