“In this study several political and administrative dimensions of governance are discussed. First is the issue of local government autonomy. Here, an attempt was made to answer the question : to what extent are the local authorities free to make political decisions within the Tanzanian polity? It is recognised that the local government reforms has opened the way for multi level planning systems and new, non-hierarchical forms of inter-ministerial coordination. However, while the decentralisation reform has set the stage for participatory local planning practices, it is by no means guaranteeing them. Improved trust relations, citizen’s rights, reduced corruption, participation in local elections and gender mainstreaming are important governance issues that are also discussed in this study.”
