DECENTRALIZATION AS THE INSTITUTIONAL BASIS FOR COMMUNITY-BASED PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT - THE LATIN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

Decentralisation of government decision-making and administration has been a salient development in many countries over the past two decades . This paper examines the conflicting dynamics of this process, with p articular reference to the emergence of a ''new paradigm'' that privil eges community-based and participatory forms of development. In the La tin American context, decentralisation is essentially a project design ed as a means of social control, opening up channels for popular parti cipation at the local level while securing the demise of organisations that might challenge the power structure of national institutions and policies for more effective change.