Summary

Research Report: This report analyses the structure, functions and current operational capacity of provincial governments in Solomon Islands.

Description

Author: John Cox and Joanne Morrison

This report analyses the structure, functions and current operational capacity of provincial governments in Solomon Islands.

The Solomon Islands Provincial Government system has been in decline for at least ten years. Issues which limit the effectiveness of National Government, such as political and bureaucratic leadership, good governance, communication, morale and human resource management, also characterise Provincial Governments.

In addition, Provinces suffer from poorly defined roles and functions, inadequate funding, isolation and weak relationships with National Government. These problems have been exacerbated by the impact of the recent civil conflict particularly the severe reductions in Provincial Service Grants, the principal source of Provincial Government revenue.

Over the past four years, as National Government has centralised management and donors have sought to work directly with communities, Provinces have been increasingly marginalized from service delivery activities.

Recognising that Provincial Governments, retain an important political role in representing their constituencies and providing a focus for regional aspirations, the Diagnostic Study highlights the importance of engaging with them. The authors conclude that it is imperative that this political role be included in nation-wide discussions of good governance reform, service delivery and economic development. The alternative is to risk alienating Provincial Governments which may create the potential for them to become destabilising influences in a still fragile post-conflict country.

Solomon Islands: Provincial Governance Information Paper [PDF 110 KB]

Available: Electronic version only

This report was commissioned by AusAID. The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in the report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of AusAID or the Australian Government.

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