Since assuming power in April 2011, the Thein Sein government has begun to implement a wide range of reform initiatives. Central to these are decentralization and local governance, issues of critical importance to the country’s long-term development. In light of this situation, The Asia Foundation is pleased to present this research authored by Mr. Kyosuke Inada which examines the dynamics and challenges of how national sector planning can be better interfaced with assorted decentralization processes. In addition to reviews of academic literature about decentralization and a situational assessment of Myanmar’s unfolding transition, this paper draws upon lessons learned through both past and on-going subnational development interventions in Myanmar by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

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