From ‘de jure’ to ‘de facto’ decentralised public policies: The multi-level governance approach
| DOI | 10.1177/1369148120937624 |
| Date | 01 November 2020 |
| Published date | 01 November 2020 |
| Author | Claire Charbit |
| Subject Matter | Breakthrough Political Science Symposium on Multi-Level Governance |
https://doi.org/10.1177/1369148120937624
The British Journal of Politics and
International Relations
2020, Vol. 22(4) 809 –819
© The Author(s) 2020
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DOI: 10.1177/1369148120937624
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From ‘de jure’ to ‘de facto’
decentralised public policies:
The multi-level governance
approach
Claire Charbit
Abstract
This contribution recalls the existing interdependencies across levels of government and
elaborates on the multi-level governance gaps framework to identify coordination and capacity
reinforcement tools to improve public policy outcomes in decentralised contexts. It details how
the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has adopted this approach. This
paper then focuses on one of the tools used by countries and regions – Contracts. Contracts
across levels of government, though not exempt of drawbacks, can favour information-sharing
and mutual understanding as to how to address common policy priorities, while reducing the
transaction costs of policy implementation; and generate trust between public actors for their
future endeavours. The last section underlines some more general observations and questions
like the use of multi-level governance approach to preserve the ‘biodiversity’ of regions. The
note concludes with the need to re-insert relationships with people and not only among public
authorities in a ‘new generation’ multi-level governance framework.
Keywords
contracts across levels of government, coordination, decentralised public policies, incentives,
multi-level governance, OECD, regional development
Introduction
The environment in which governments operate today is very uncertain due to megatrends
such as climate change, digitalisation and demographic change (as well as urbanisation, age-
ing and migration).1 In addition, growing mistrust towards institutions related to the uncer-
tain environment and the perception of increasing inequalities among people and among
Territorial Dialogues and Migration Unit, Regional Development and Tourism Division (RDT), Center
for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD), Paris, France
Corresponding author:
Claire Charbit, Senior Policy Analyst, Head of Unit - OECD, 2 Rue André-Pascal, 75775 Paris, Cedex 16,
France.
Email: claire.charbit@oecd.org
937624BPI0010.1177/1369148120937624The British Journal of Politics and International RelationsCharbit
research-article2020
Breakthrough Article
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