IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/fpr/ifprid/178892.html

How local leaders view transparency and local autonomy in humanitarian aid distribution: Evidence from Mali

Author

Listed:
  • Bleck, Jaimie
  • Carrillo, Lucia
  • Gottlieb, Jessica
  • Guindo, Sidiki
  • Kosec, Katrina
  • Kyle, Jordan
  • Soumano, Moumouni

Abstract

Recognizing the pivotal role local governance plays in crisis response and the diversity of local conditions even within a single country context, this article examines variation in preferences over humanitarian aid delivery among local leaders in Mali. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork and a survey of 2,919 local leaders across the country, we investigate leaders’ preferences over two key dimensions of aid governance: local autonomy over targeting and distribution and transparency over aid delivery. Using aid profile vignettes to elicit preferences over these attributes, we find that leaders generally favor approaches that combine both greater local control and greater transparency, viewing transparency as complementary to autonomy rather than constraining. Preferences, however, vary by leaders’ position and by context: outsiders to aid governance demand more transparency, and leaders’ relative trust in local aid committees versus donors predicts preferences for autonomy. Leaders in conflict-affected villages place greater value on autonomy and less on transparency, highlighting how insecurity reshapes aid preferences in fragile settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Bleck, Jaimie & Carrillo, Lucia & Gottlieb, Jessica & Guindo, Sidiki & Kosec, Katrina & Kyle, Jordan & Soumano, Moumouni, 2025. "How local leaders view transparency and local autonomy in humanitarian aid distribution: Evidence from Mali," IFPRI discussion papers 2384, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:ifprid:178892
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178892
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bleck, Jaimie & Gottlieb, Jessica & Kosec, Katrina & Boss, Lindsey, 2021. "Women’s voices in civil society organizations: Evidence from a civil society mapping project in Mali," Issue briefs April 2021, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Grimmer, Justin & Messing, Solomon & Westwood, Sean J., 2012. "How Words and Money Cultivate a Personal Vote: The Effect of Legislator Credit Claiming on Constituent Credit Allocation," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 106(4), pages 703-719, November.
    3. Abhijit Banerjee & Rema Hanna & Jordan Kyle & Benjamin A. Olken & Sudarno Sumarto, 2018. "Tangible Information and Citizen Empowerment: Identification Cards and Food Subsidy Programs in Indonesia," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 126(2), pages 451-491.
    4. Honig, Dan, 2019. "When Reporting Undermines Performance: The Costs of Politically Constrained Organizational Autonomy in Foreign Aid Implementation," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 73(1), pages 171-201, January.
    5. Fox, Jonathan A., 2007. "Accountability Politics: Power and Voice in Rural Mexico," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199208852.
    6. John Ferejohn, 1986. "Incumbent performance and electoral control," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 5-25, January.
    7. Alderman, Harold, 2002. "Do local officials know something we don't? Decentralization of targeted transfers in Albania," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(3), pages 375-404, March.
    8. Muhammad Khan & Hee Yong Lee & Jung Han Bae, 2019. "The Role of Transparency in Humanitarian Logistics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-27, April.
    9. Mirko Heinzel & Bernhard Reinsberg & Giuseppe Zaccaria, 2025. "Core funding and the performance of international organizations: Evidence from UNDP projects," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(3), pages 957-976, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bleck, Jaimie & Carrillo, Lucia & Gottlieb, Jessica & Guindo, Sidiki & Kosec, Katrina & Kyle, Jordan & Soumano, Moumouni, 2025. "How local leaders view transparency and local autonomy in humanitarian aid distribution: Evidence from Mali," GSSP working papers 2384, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Alix-Garcia, Jennifer M. & Sims, Katharine R.E. & Phaneuf, Daniel J., 2019. "Using referenda to improve targeting and decrease costs of conditional cash transfers," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 179-194.
    3. Alix-Garcia, Jennifer M. & Sims, Katharine R.E. & Costica, Laura, 2021. "Better to be indirect? Testing the accuracy and cost-savings of indirect surveys," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    4. Jeffrey Clemens & Julia Payson & Stan Veuger, 2026. "Aid for incumbents: the electoral consequences of COVID-19 relief," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 206(3), pages 363-390, March.
    5. Alain de Janvry & Frederico Finan & Elisabeth Sadoulet, 2012. "Local Electoral Incentives and Decentralized Program Performance," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 94(3), pages 672-685, August.
    6. Arkedis, Jean & Creighton, Jessica & Dixit, Akshay & Fung, Archon & Kosack, Stephen & Levy, Dan & Tolmie, Courtney, 2019. "Can Transparency and Accountability Programs Improve Health? Experimental Evidence from Indonesia and Tanzania," Working Paper Series rwp19-020, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    7. Bleck, Jaimie & Carrillo, Lucia & Gottlieb, Jessica & Kosec, Katrina & Kyle, Jordan & Soumano, Moumouni, 2024. "Unlocking locally-led resilience amid conflict and climate stress: Views from community leaders in Mali on development priorities, aid distribution, and anticipatory action," IFPRI discussion papers 2272, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Kikuta,Kyosuke & Ono, Yoshikuni, 2024. "Global Evidence for the Relevance of Irrelevant Events: International Soccer Games and Leader Approval," IDE Discussion Papers 942, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    9. Berliner, Daniel & Bagozzi, Benjamin E. & Palmer-Rubin, Brian, 2018. "What information do citizens want? Evidence from one million information requests in Mexico," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 222-235.
    10. Dan Levy, 2019. "Can Transparency and Accountability Programs Improve Health? Experimental Evidence from Indonesia and Tanzania," CID Working Papers 352, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    11. Arkedis, Jean & Creighton, Jessica & Dixit, Akshay & Fung, Archon & Kosack, Stephen & Levy, Dan & Tolmie, Courtney, 2021. "Can transparency and accountability programs improve health? Experimental evidence from Indonesia and Tanzania," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    12. Persson, Torsten & Tabellini, Guido, 2002. "Political economics and public finance," Handbook of Public Economics, in: A. J. Auerbach & M. Feldstein (ed.), Handbook of Public Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 24, pages 1549-1659, Elsevier.
    13. repec:osf:socarx:cm58f_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Alberto Alesina & Guido Tabellini, 2003. "Bureaucrats or Politicians?," Working Papers 238, IGIER (Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research), Bocconi University.
    15. Scott Gehlbach & Konstantin Sonin & Ekaterina Zhuravskaya, 2010. "Businessman Candidates," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(3), pages 718-736, July.
    16. Kirill Chmel & Aigul Klimova & Nikita Savin, 2023. "Saving lives or saving the economy? Support for the incumbent during the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia," Post-Soviet Affairs, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(4), pages 291-307, July.
    17. Katarina Ott & Velibor Maèkiæ & Mihaela Broniæ, 2019. "Political Stubbornness and Online Local Budget Transparency in Croatia," Zbornik radova Ekonomskog fakulteta u Rijeci/Proceedings of Rijeka Faculty of Economics, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Economics and Business, vol. 37(2), pages 553-585.
    18. Mustafa Kadir DOĞAN & Funda ALTUN, 2024. "Impact of Corruption on Utility Prices: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis for the Electricity Markets," Sosyoekonomi Journal, Sosyoekonomi Society, issue 32(60).
    19. Silvia Dominguez-Martinez & Otto Swank, 2006. "Polarization, Information Collection and Electoral Control," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 26(3), pages 527-545, June.
    20. Antonio Bubbico, 2013. "Administrative Continuity: Enhancer or Constraint for Regional Governments' Efficiency?," ERSA conference papers ersa13p493, European Regional Science Association.
    21. Lamberova, Natalia, 2021. "The puzzling politics of R&D: Signaling competence through risky projects," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(3), pages 801-818.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:fpr:ifprid:178892. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ifprius.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.