Assessing The Legal Framework of decentralization: An analytical tool for local governance reforms
Description
This policy brief examines the legal framework of decentralization in Uzbekistan and proposes a structured analytical tool for assessing whether existing legislation creates enabling conditions for effective local governance. Decentralization is an important component of public administration reform, but its outcomes depend not only on the formal transfer of responsibilities, but also on the coherence of legal norms, allocation of authority, financial arrangements, coordination mechanisms, accountability procedures, and opportunities for citizen participation. The brief argues that fragmented or inconsistent legislation can weaken decentralization reforms by creating overlaps, gaps, and unclear responsibilities between levels of government. To address this issue, the paper develops an analytical framework that combines legal framework inventory, governance relations analysis, and a scoring-based evaluation methodology. This approach helps assess how legal provisions support key governance mechanisms and how they influence the functioning and performance of local governance systems. The proposed tool can be used for monitoring decentralization reforms, identifying regulatory gaps, improving legislative coherence, and supporting evidence-based policymaking. The brief contributes to the broader discussion on how legal and institutional frameworks can strengthen local governance and territorial development in Uzbekistan.