Decentralization can be structured in ways that make it more effective and beneficial for the poor.
Ensuring Democratic Accountability
The best way to ensure that decision-makers are accountable to local people and decision-making reflects the interests of local people is to vest powers in elected authorities who are chosen through competitive local elections (Crook and Sverrisson 2001:50). While it is often difficult to rein in the political forces that stifle open elections, the benefits can be substantial. For example, competitive local elections in West Bengal, India helped make policy more responsive to the poor, and in Colombia, competitively elected mayors
