Devometrics: How to measure decentralisation – objective and subjective approaches

The LDRC has commissioned researchers from the University of Kent to develop a metric for assessing how far power is decentralised across different scales, geographies and policy areas. Paolo Dardanelli and Kieran Wright have assessed existing metrics, which tend to gloss over the range and complexity within local government systems. They built an alternative model to address this gap and tested it through interviews and a workshop with LGIU member councils in England.

The final paper

In this second paper looking at the decentralisation of power in UK governance the authors look at the challenges we face in developing measures that will capture the diversity and nuances of the governance system. They discuss possible ways of dealing with those challenges, focussing on the policy sphere.

The interim paper

In the first paper as part our Devometrics project with the University of Kent Paolo Dardanelli and Kieran Wright scoped out the issues and challenges, appraise current approaches and begin to apply them in practical contexts.