Transition to a more democraticorganization of the political environment led to theadoption of four laws in 1998 - Decentralization Laws - thatprovide for local governments' semi-autonomy, anddefine the overall context in which decentralization wouldoccur, outlining the principles for implementation of thedecentralization process. The report intends to create aplatform for discussion, and consensus building in thesubject of decentralization, including the preparation of apublic sector capacity building program. Main findingsoutline the need to legally establish the number of tiers ofbranch offices for central line ministries, and, clearlydefine the roles of regional, and provincial branch offices(including the relation between branch offices) to avoidprobable redundancies. Yet, insufficient management capacitywithin branch offices may jeopardize the vital work ofidentifying, and tracking resources to be transferred,aggravated by a weak personnel management concerning theappointments to be decided by the line ministry centraladministration. In addition, the financial management isplagued by limited ministry responsibility for its ownbudget, by limited responsibility given to branch offices,and, by limited planning and monitoring, all conducive toinefficient central financial control systems. The reportintends to diagnose possible solutions in service deliveryat the local level, highlighting public sector managementreforms as its main focus.