STREET-LEVEL GOVERNMENTS - ASSESSING DECENTRALIZATION AND URBAN SERVICES (AN EVALUATION OF POLICY RELATED RESEARCH)

• NCJ Number: 18507
• Author(s): R K YIN; D YATES
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 331 pages
• Contract Number(s): NSF-C817
• Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation
• Corporate Author: Rand Corporation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A SUMMARY ASSESSMENT OF 215 CASE STUDIES OF URBAN DECENTRALIZATION, UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE THE OUTCOMES OF DECENTRALIZATION, AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF OUTCOMES TO DECENTRALIZATION STRATEGIES AND TYPE OF SERVICE PROVIDED.

Abstract

EACH CASE STUDY WAS EXAMINED FOR FIVE POTENTIAL OUTCOMES REFLECTING THE 'SUCCESS' OF DECENTRALIZATION: INCREASED INFORMATION FLOW, IMPROVEMENTS IN SERVICE OFFICIALS' ATTITUDES, IMPROVED CLIENT ATTITUDES, SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS, AND INCREASES IN CLIENT CONTROL. THE RESULTS FOR THESE OUTCOMES SUGGEST THAT THE CASE STUDIES HAVE GENERALLY REPORTED A FAIRLY POSITIVE PICTURE FOR THE DECENTRALIZATION EXPERIENCE. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT SUCCESSFUL DECENTRALIZATION IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE STRENGTH OF THE DECENTRALIZATION STRATEGY AND THAT SUCCESSFUL DECENTRALIZATION IS INVERSELY RELATED TO THE DEGREE OF PROFESSIONAL AND BUREAUCRATIC CONTROL OVER SERVICE POLICIES. TYPES OF SERVICE AGENCIES INCLUDED IN THIS STUDY ARE PUBLIC SAFETY, HEALTH, EDUCATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND MULTISERVICE PROGRAMS. WITH RESPECT TO PUBLIC SAFETY ORGANIZATIONS IN PARTICULAR, IT WAS NOTED THAT POLICE DECENTRALIZATION STRATEGIES USUALLY INVOLVED IMPROVING INFORMAL COMMUNICATIONS, CHANGING POLICE PERSONNEL, CHANGING POLICE PROCEDURES, ALLOWING EXTERNAL REVIEW OR CONTROL, AND DEVELOPING COMMUNITY BASED PATROL. FOR POLICE SERVICES, THE CASE STUDIES MOST FREQUENTLY INDICATED AN INCREASED FLOW OF INFORMATION AND LEAST FREQUENTLY AN INCREASED CLIENT CONTROL OVER SERVICES AS OUTCOMES.