This document summarizes a study on decentralization in Myanmar. It outlines the rationale, objectives, methodology, findings, and conclusions of the study. The objectives were to examine community participation and awareness, perspectives of civil servants and MPs, and challenges to decentralization. Through focus groups and interviews, the study found weak community participation, a lack of transparency, and that centralization is still prevalent in the public sector. It concludes decentralization faces challenges including short trust in government, weak rule of law, and lack of community involvement in decision-making. It recommends strengthening service delivery, rule of law, access to information, and abolishing secret laws to gain public trust.

2. CONTENT
• RATIONALE OF THE STUDY
• OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
• RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
• FINDINGS FOR 4 OBJECTIVES
• CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION

3. RATIONAL OF STUDY
• PROBLEM STATEMENTS
• OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH
• METHODOLOGY
• LIMITATION

4. PROBLEM STATEMENT
Myanmar transition is very crucial,
in terms of bringing changes and
those change to be inclusive,
democratic decentralization is
essential.
In terms of decentralization, citizen participation
and awareness is vital so that they could bring
transparency and accountability in service
provider through check and balancing.

5. OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH
1. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND AWARENESS IN DECENTRALIZATION PROCESS
2. THE ASPECTS OF CIVIL SERVANTS AND MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ON CURRENT POLITICAL SYSTEM
3. MAIN CHALLENGES FOR MYANMAR DECENTRALIZATION

6. METHODOLOGY
• QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS: PRIMARY DATA AND SECONDARY DATA
• PRIMARY DATA - FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD) WITH CSO ( NPA, ACTIONAID, OXFAM, MYANMAR
PEACE CENTER, UNHCR, PEOPLE HEAD FOUNDATION, FREELANCE LAWYER)
• KII WITH GAD, TOWNSHIP ADMINISTRATORS, MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, POLICE OFFICER AND DIRECTOR
FROM MINISTRY
• SECONDARY DATA-DATA AND INFORMATION ARE COLLECTED THROUGH THE LITERATURES, REPORTS,
RESEARCH, NEWSPAPERS, THE JOURNALS, WEB RESOURCES, PROJECT REPORTS AND OTHER
PUBLICATIONS, ACTS, LAWS

7. LIMITATION
• PEOPLE ARE STILL AFRAID TO HOLD THE POLITICAL DISCUSSION.
• CONSTRAINT TO GET THE RELEVANT VOICES
• ACCESS TO INFORMATION WITH CIVIL SERVANTS ARE LIMITED
• ELECTION CAMPAIGNING
• BY THE REASON OF TIME AND BUDGET CONSTRAINT, THE RESEARCH COULDN’T COVER WHOLE MYANMAR
BUT ONLY YANGON REGION.

8. FINDINGS

9. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND
AWARENESS IN DECENTRALIZATION
PROCESS
• COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN THE PLAN INITIATIVE BY THE GOVERNMENTIS WEAK BECAUSE THE
RADIUS OF TRUST IS STILL SHORT( CASE: VOTER INTEREST; ATTENDING PARTY CEREMONY)
• AT THE SAME TIME, CIVIL SOCIETY IS GETTING STRONGER( CASE: FLOOD DISASTER )
• COLLECTIVE DEMAND BY COMMUNITY ( CASE : THINGANGYUN)
• COMMUNITY MISTRUST ON GOVERNMENT PUBLISHED NEWS WHICH NEEDS TO BE CREDIBLE AND
RELIABLE( CASE: FLOOD DISASTER)
• THE SPACE PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT ON CITIZEN PARTICIPATION ISIN PLACE BUT IN TERMS OF
DECISION MAKING PROCESS CSO INPUTS ARE NOT HIGHLY CONSIDER ( CASE: LIBIARY WORKSHOP)

10. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND AWARENESS IN
DECENTRALIZATION PROCESS
• POLITICAL DECENTRALIZATION- THE INITIATION OF THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN NEGLECTED BY THE PUBLIC
AND VERY FEW PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN IT.
• ADMINISTRATIVE DECENTRALIZATION- DELEGATION HAS BEEN EMERGED WITHIN THE SYSTEM, THE SPACE HAS
BEEN PROVIDED ARE STILL UNDER UTILIZED. STAFFS FROM ADMINISTRATIVE POST ARE DIRECTLY APPOINTED
BY THE UNION GOVERNMENT (EG. GAD, MINISTRY); (EG. PROTOCOL CONFLICT)
LESS TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT BODY ( EG. CONSTRUCTING BRIDGES, OVERLAPPING AND
EXAGGERATING WORK)
• FISCAL DECENTRALIZATION – THE INCOME BUDGET OF YAGON DEPENDS ON TAXATION ,STILL NEED
TRANSPARENCY IN ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES AND WAY OF TAX COLLECTION SYSTEM.

11. THE ASPECTS OF CIVIL SERVANTS AND
MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ON CURRENT
POLITICAL SYSTEM
• CENTRALIZATION IS STILL EXISTING IN PUBLIC SECTOR (SUBORDINATE GOVERNMENT STAFFS AFRAID TO MAKE DECISION)
• DIRECTED APPOINTED BY COMMANDER IN CHIEF( HOME AFFAIRS, DEFENSE, BORDER AFFAIRS)
• ROLE CLARITY BETWEEN GAD & MINISTERS
• RULE OF LAW IS STILL WEAK ( CASE: CONSTITUTION VS CIVIL SERVICE PERSONNEL ACT OF MYANMAR )
• SEPARATION OF POWER- AS THE CONSEQUENCES OF CENTRALIZE POWER ( CASE: HLAING THAR YAR GAD SENTENCING)
• YANGON BUDGET HAS TO RELY ONON CENTRAL GOVERNMENT ( EG. GPD 20%)
• RATIONAL OF HAVING FEDERAL - FEDERALISM CAN SOLVE MOST OF MYANMARPOLITICAL CRISIS

12. CHALLENGES OF DECENTRALIZATION IN
MYANMAR
• RULES OF LAW ( CASE: LIQUOR STORES)
• RADIUS OF TRUST IS SHORT
• SECRET LAW FOR CIVIL SERVANT
• CORRUPTION
• TRANSPARENCY
• BUREAUCRACY’S CAPACITY
• COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
• SUBORDINATE VOICES ARE NOT HEARD IN DECISION MAKING

13. CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION
RECOMMENDATIONS
• TO GAIN TRUST OF THE PUBLIC, GOVERNMENT SERVICE DELIVERY NEEDS TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT
• RULE OF LAW NEED TO STRENGTHEN
• ACCESS TO INFORMATION
• ABOLISHING THE SECRET LAW