Contents -- Acknowledgments -- List of Abbreviations -- I. Introduction -- Background: Local Organizations and Decentralization -- Conceptual Framework -- Methodology -- II. Performance of Mandated Functions -- Mandated Functions of Organizations -- Actual Functions Performed by Local Organizations -- Quality of Organizational Performance -- Summary -- III. Assets and Effective Organizational Performance -- Human and Material Assets -- Financial Assets -- Summary and Analysis of the Relationship Between Assets and Performance of Functions -- IV. Processes and Effective Organizational Performance -- Awareness of Rules -- Transparency and Information Availability -- Decision-Making Procedures -- Relationship Between Processes and Performance of Functions -- V. Linkages, Context, and Effective Organizational Performance -- Linkages -- Context -- Summary -- VI. Equity, Sustainability, and Organizational Performance -- Equity -- Sustainability -- Summary -- VII. Summary of Findings and Their Operational Implications -- Core Findings -- Core Design Issues -- Bibliography -- Annex -- Index -- Boxes -- Box 1 Main Categories of the Organizational Typology -- Box 2 Difficulties Working with Gram Panchayats -- Box 3 Quality of Human Assets Is Key -- Box 4 Transparency in Operation-or Not -- Box 5 The Importance of Good Transparency Mechanisms -- Box 6 Elite Capture -- Box 7 The Importance of Group-to-Group Linkages -- Box 8 Caste Differences Complicate Organizational Performance -- Figure -- Figure 1 Schematic Representation of the Conceptual Framework -- Tables -- Table 1 Mandated Functions of Organizations: Women's Development and Empowerment Sector (W), Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Sector (D), and Watershed Development Sector (H) -- Table 2 Functions Undertaken by Village-Level Local Organizations, Watershed Development Sector.

Table 3 Functions Undertaken by Village-Level Local Organizations, Women's Development and Empowerment Sector -- Table 4 Functions Undertaken by Gram Panchayats, Watershed Development Sector -- Table 5 Quality of Performance of Functions by Village-Level Organizations -- Table 6 Performance of Functions by Support Organizations, Women's Development and Empowerment Sector -- Table 7 Adequacy of Human Assets -- Table 8 Adequacy of Material Assets -- Table 9 Adequacy of Financial Assets -- Table 10 Ordered Probit Results for Assets and Performance -- Table 11 Representatives' Awareness of Rules and Functions, by Local Organization Type and Sector -- Table 12 Members' Awareness of Rules, by Local Organization Type and Sector -- Table 13 Meeting Minutes Read, by Local Organization Type and Sector -- Table 14 Meeting Information through Word of Mouth, by Local Organization Type and Sector -- Table 15 How Decisions Are Made, Women's Development and Empowerment Sector -- Table 16 Extent to Which Decisions Are Made by Consensus, Watershed Development Sector -- Table 17 Extent to Which Decisions Are Made by Consensus, Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Sector -- Table 18 Ordered Probit Results for Processes and Performance -- Table 19 Organizational Linkages with Elected Government -- Table 20 Organizational Linkages with Line Departments -- Table 21 Organizational Linkages with Other Sector Local Organizations -- Table 22 Ordered Probit Results for Linkages and Performance -- Table 23 Household Caste/Religious Group and Performance -- Table 24 Village Characteristics and Performance -- Table 25 Number of Loans Obtained by Poverty Ranking -- Table 26 Members' Assessment of Their Local Organization's Performance in Improving Access to Clean Drinking Water, by Pover -- Table 27 Sustainability of Benefits, by Sector.

Table 28 Member Attendance of Local Organization Meetings, by Sector -- Table 29 Local Organizations Managed by the Members, by Local Organization Type and Sector -- Table 30 Local Organizations Receiving Regular Financial Contributions from Members, by Type and Sector -- Table 31 Local Organizations' Assessments as to Whether They Have Sufficient Internal Resources, by Local Organization Type and Sector -- Table 32 Summary Figures on Sustainability -- Annex -- Table A1 Typology of Local Organizations -- Table A2 Functions and Subfunctions of Local Organizations -- Table A3 Sectors and Projects Selected for the Study -- Table A4 Village-Level Instruments -- Table A5 Number of Organizations Covered in the Study -- Table A6 Functions Undertaken by Village-Level Local Organizations, Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Sector -- Table A7 Functions Undertaken by Gram Panchayats, Women's Development and Empowerment Sector -- Table A8 Functions Undertaken by Gram Panchayats, Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Sector -- Table A9 Performance of Functions by Support Organizations, Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Sector -- Table A10 Performance of Functions by Support Organizations, Watershed Development Sector -- Table A11 Performance of Functions by Gram Panchayats, Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Sector -- Table A12 Performance of Functions by Gram Panchayats, Watershed Development Sector -- Table A13 Participation in Decision Making by Organizational Position, Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Sector -- Table A14 Poverty Ranking and Performance -- Table A15 Household Landholdings and Performance -- Table A16 Gender, Attendance, and Performance -- Table A17 Participation in Decision Making by Organizational Position, Women's Development and Empowerment Sector.

Table A18 Participation in Decision Making by Organizational Position, Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Sector -- Table A19 Participation in Decision Making by Poverty Rank, Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Sector -- Table A20 Participation in Decision Making by Organizational Position, Watershed Development Sector -- Table A21 Participation in Decision Making by Poverty Rank, Watershed Development Sector -- Table A22 Poisson Regression of Number of Loans Obtained by Sample Members -- Table A23 Ordered Probit Results for Improved Access to Clean Drinking Water -- Table A24 Ordered Probit Results for Provision of Sanitary Facilities -- Table A25 Members' Assessment of Their Local Organization's Performance in Preventing Soil Erosion and Water Loss, by Poverty Ranking -- Table A26 Members' Assessment of Their Local Organization's Performance in Improving Agricultural Production, by Poverty Ranking -- Table A27 Members' Assessment of Their Local Organization's Performance in Preventing Soil Erosion and Water Loss, by Size of Operational Holding -- Table A28 Members' Assessment of Their Local Organization's Performance in Improving Agricultural Production, by Size of Operational Holding -- Table A29 Ordered Probit Results for Prevention of Soil Erosion and Water Loss -- Table A30 Ordered Probit Results for Improvements in Agricultural Production -- Table A31 Age of the Sample Organizations by Sector -- Table A32 Probit Estimation Results: Association between Assets, Processes, Linkages, Context, and Performance of Functions.