Assessing the Effectiveness of Citizen Engagement Mechanisms in Sri Lankan Local Governance: Challenges and Pathways to Inclusive Participation

Thiwankee Abeywardena Wickramasinghe

Citizen Engagement, Praja Sabha, Citizen Engagement Mechanisms, Democratic Participation, Local Governance, Sri Lanka

Abstract This study evaluates the effectiveness of mechanisms for citizens' participation in Sri Lanka's local governance. It covers Praja Sabhas (Community Councils), participatory budgeting, and public consultations based on thirty (30) in-depth interviews with government officials, representatives of civil society, and the community. The findings indicate that while such mechanisms exist, their practical effectiveness is buffered by political interference, socio-economic inequalities, and general unawareness of the fact. Moreover, the use of digital platforms in civic engagement remains limited due to a lack of training and infrastructure. It also contributes to the theoretical understanding of participatory governance in post-colonial democracies and provides recommendations toward more transparent and inclusive policy formulations in the light of the digital transformation of local governance processes.

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"Assessing the Effectiveness of Citizen Engagement Mechanisms in Sri Lankan Local Governance: Challenges and Pathways to Inclusive Participation", IJNRD - INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NOVEL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (www.IJNRD.org), ISSN:2456-4184, Vol.9, Issue 10, page no.b396-b411, October-2024, Available :https://ijnrd.org/papers/IJNRD2410146.pdf

Volume 9 Issue 10, October-2024

Pages : b396-b411

Paper Reg. ID: IJNRD_301010

Published Paper Id: IJNRD2410146

Downloads: 00028

Research Area: Social Science All

Country: Ranala, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Published Paper PDF: https://ijnrd.org/papers/IJNRD2410146

Published Paper URL: https://ijnrd.org/viewpaperforall?paper=IJNRD2410146

DOI: http://doi.one/10.1729/Journal.41906

ISSN: 2456-4184 | IMPACT FACTOR: 8.76 Calculated By Google Scholar | ESTD YEAR: 2016

An International Scholarly Open Access Journal, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journal Impact Factor 8.76 Calculate by Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool, Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Multilanguage Journal Indexing in All Major Database & Metadata, Citation Generator

Publisher: IJNRD (IJ Publication) Janvi Wave

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