| Titre | Decentralization in the Digital Era: The interplay between digitalization and local governance implications in Flanders | |
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| Auteur | Inke Torfs, Lieselot Danneels | |
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Revue | International Review of Public Policy |
| Numéro | vol. 7, no 3, 2025 | |
| Page | 281-310 | |
| Résumé anglais |
Decentralization, driven by the promise of improved governance, has gained prominence on policy agendas and in policy research. Yet, its practical implications for local governments remain underexplored. Concurrently, digitalization is gaining traction as a promising strategy to empower local governments, though its potential role in supporting decentralization processes is not fully understood. This research adopts a socio-technical perspective. It integrates Technology Affordances and Constraints Theory with a typology of technological perceptions to explore how digitalization can empower local governments in implementing decentralization. Empirically, the research is grounded in 36 focus groups involving nearly 250 participants and 11 expert interviews within nine Flemish local governments. Findings indicate that: (1) local governments primarily associate decentralization with an increased demand for capacity; (2) they recognize digitalization's potential specifically in enhancing administrative and policy capacities; yet (3) they predominantly perceive digital technologies through a narrow tool view. Overall, the findings reveal a persistent tendency among local governments to approach digitalization as a “magic bullet”, often overlooking its broader socio-technical context. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of digitalization and decentralization and offer practical implications for policymakers seeking to strengthen both processes. Source : Éditeur (via OpenEdition Journals) |
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| Article en ligne | https://journals.openedition.org/irpp/5604 |
