Local Government Decentralization and Poverty Alleviation in Gal-Mudug state, Somalia

ABSTRACT

Somalia has been confronted with the challenge of object poverty that lasted well over two centuries. Local government decentralization is one of the strategies adopted by its government in the hope that its implementation could engenders a downward review of the nation’s poverty profile.This study is aimed at investigating the role of local government decentralization in poverty alleviation in Galmudug-Somalia. The objectives of the study were; to determine the nature of local government decentralization in poverty alleviation in Galmudug-Somalia, to assess the role of local government decentralization in Galmudug-Somalia, to establish the relationship between decentralization of local government and poverty alleviation in GalmudugSomalia and to investigate the challenges against local government in poverty alleviation in Galmudug-Somalia.The research was a descriptive research with a cross-sectional design. It is a descriptive because it examined the relationship between local government decentralization and poverty alleviation in Galmudug in Somalia. It is of a cross-sectional design because the data was collected once and presented. The research was carried out in Galmudug central Somalia. The researcher employed questionnaire and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to gather primary data for the purpose of achieving the study’s objectives. The study findings indicated that local government decentralization has a significant impact on poverty alleviation in GalmudugSomalia by 48.2% (R Square=0.482). The descriptive analysis of local government decentralization and poverty alleviation also confirmed the positive significant impact between these two variables. The mean of local government decentralization and Poverty alleviation both showed low rate (mean= 3.23; 2.779). This interprets the low involvement of the social leaders in the local government and therefore leads to low poverty alleviation. Hence, the significant effect of local government decentralization on poverty alleviation indicates their positive relationship. The study suggested the government of Somalia to develop collaborative network that bring together diverse people in the local government, including the young, middle-aged and elderly, minorities and the physically challenged people in partnership in order to improve their livelihood for the purpose ofpoverty alleviation.  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION......................................................................

APPROVAL..............................................................................

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .........................................................................................................iii

LIST OF ACRONYMS.......................................................................................................... viii

LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................. ix

LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... x

ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................................. xi

CHAPTER ONE........................................................................................................................ 1

INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................... 1

1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Background to the study........................................................................................................ 1

1.1.1 Historical background ........................................................................................................ 1

1.1.2 Theoretical Perspective ...................................................................................................... 4

1.1.2.1 Public-choice theory........................................................................................................ 4

1.1.2 Conceptual Perspective ...................................................................................................... 5

1.1.4 Contextual Perspective....................................................................................................... 8

1.2 Statement of the problem .................................................................................................... 10

1.3 Purpose of the study ............................................................................................................ 12

1.4 Research objectives............................................................................................................. 12

1.5 Research questions.............................................................................................................. 12

1.6 Scope of the study ............................................................................................................... 12

1.7 Significance of the study..................................................................................................... 13

1.8 Operational definition of key terms .................................................................................... 14

CHAPTER TWO..................................................................................................................... 16

LITERATURE REVIEW....................................................................................................... 16

2.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 16

2.1. Theoretical review.............................................................................................................. 16

2.1.2 Public-choice theory......................................................................................................... 18

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2.2 Conceptual Framework ....................................................................................................... 19

2.3 Review of related literature ................................................................................................. 20

2.3.1 The Relevance of economic factors on Poverty Alleviation............................................ 20

2.3.2 Poverty Alleviation in Somalia ........................................................................................ 26

2.3.4 The nature of Local Government decentralization on poverty alleviation in Somalia .... 27

2.3.5 Role of local government decentralization in poverty alleviation ................................... 30

2.3.7 Problems of Local Government Decentralization in Somalia.......................................... 32

2.3.8 Relationship between local government decentralization and poverty alleviation .......... 33

2.4 Gap in Literature ................................................................................................................. 36

CHAPTER THREE ................................................................................................................ 41

METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................................. 41

3.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 41

3.1 Research design................................................................................................................... 41

3.2 Research Population............................................................................................................ 41

3.3 Sample size.......................................................................................................................... 41

3.4 Sampling Procedures........................................................................................................... 42

3.5 Sources of data .................................................................................................................... 42

3.6 Data collection instruments................................................................................................. 43

3.6.1 Questionnaire ................................................................................................................... 43

3.6.2 Focus Group Discussions................................................................................................. 43

3.7 Reliability of the instruments of data collection ................................................................. 44

3.7.1 Validity of Research Instrument ...................................................................................... 44

3.7.2 Reliability of Research Instrument................................................................................... 45

3.8 Research Procedure ............................................................................................................. 46

3.9 Data Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 46

3.9.1 Data Analysis for Questionnaire ...................................................................................... 46

3.9.2 Data Analysis for Focus Group Discussion ..................................................................... 46

3.10 Ethical Consideration ........................................................................................................ 48

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CHAPTER FOUR................................................................................................................... 49

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION.................................. 49

4.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 49

4.1 Results from Focus Group Discussion (FGD). ................................................................... 49

4.2 Response Rate ..................................................................................................................... 50

4.2 Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents............................................................... 50

4.3 Descriptive Statistics........................................................................................................... 52

4.3.1 The nature of local government decentralization in poverty alleviation in GalmudugSomalia...................................................................................................................................... 53

4.3.2 Role of Local Government Decentralization on poverty alleviation in Galmudug-Somalia

................................................................................................................................................... 55

4.3.3 Relationship between Local Government decentralization and poverty alleviation in 

Galmudug-Somalia, Galmudug-Somalia. ................................................................................. 57

4.4 Regression analysis............................................................................................................. 59

4.4.1 Simple linear regression................................................................................................... 59

4.4.2 The role of local government decentralization in Galmudug-Somalia. ........................... 61

4.4.2 The relationship between decentralization of local government and poverty alleviation in 

Galmudug-Somalia.................................................................................................................... 63

CHAPTER FIVE..................................................................................................................... 65

DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATAIONS................................... 65

5.1 Discussion of findings......................................................................................................... 65

5.1.2 The role of local government decentralization on poverty alleviation............................. 67

5.1.3 The relationship between local government decentralization and poverty alleviation . .. 68

5.2 Conclusion........................................................................................................................... 69

5.2.2 The role of local government decentralization on poverty alleviation............................. 70

5.2.3 The relationship between local government decentralization and poverty alleviation in 

Galmudug-Somalia, Galmudug-Somalia. ................................................................................. 70

5.3 Recommendation................................................................................................................. 72

5.3.2 The role of local government decentralization on poverty alleviation in GalmudugSomalia...................................................................................................................................... 72

5.3.3 The relationship between local government decentralization and poverty alleviation in 

Galmudug-Somalia, Galmudug-Somalia. ................................................................................. 72

5.5 Areas for further studies...................................................................................................... 73

REFERENCE............................................................................................................................ 74

APPENDIX I: TRANSMITTAL LETTER............................................................................... 78

APPENDIX II: INFORMANT CONSENT.............................................................................. 79

APPENDIX III: QUESTIONNAIRE........................................................................................ 80

Appendix II:............................................................................................................................. 84

Interview question from Focus Group Discussion ............................................................... 84