The State of Local Governance: Trends in Yangon

This report sets out to map the state of affairs and the evolution over the past years with regards to governance reform in Yangon Region. It endeavours to provide background information on the various recent elections in the Region and its results; it adds to the transparency of the Region government budget, but it especially pays attention to the perceptions of citizens regarding the changes they have experienced. They have also been asked about their impressions on the changes in the quality of basic public services, with a focus on the sectors of basic education, primary health care and drinking water supply. On the basis of that information, the report seeks to implicitly highlight some selected issues that merit further analysis and attention under the premise that, ultimately, improved governance in terms of participation and accountability, is to lead to improved quality and more equitable access to those public services, as an important contribution to a better quality of life.