Expert opinion on behalf of the MIK Brandenburg "Effects of territorial reforms - state of research and recommendations for the state of Brandenburg".

Everyone is talking about territorial reforms these days. The discussions about the reforms are often characterized by a high degree of emotionality and concern. However, little use is made of existing knowledge about the effects of territorial reforms, so that many fears are rather based on assumptions and fears than on scientific evidence. In order to create a broader and more reliable information base, the Ministry of the Interior and Municipalities (MIK) of the State of Brandenburg has commissioned the experts to compile an expertise which deals with the national and international state of research on the effects of territorial reforms and from this derives recommendations for the State of Brandenburg. The aim of this report is to systematically and comprehensively evaluate key findings on the effects of territorial reforms. This also includes a critical examination of existing research and of the central methodological problems of the investigations carried out to date, as the findings are sometimes contradictory. At its core is a stocktaking and systematization of previous research on the effects of territorial reforms. In this context, the opinion should also contribute to objectifying the current debate and underpinning it with scientific findings.

The following three main impact dimensions of the reform will be examined in more detail:

1.)      Efficiency, administrative and organizational capacity

2.)      Savings, economies of scale, profitability

3.)      Integration ability, participation, democratic control

The study shows that particular attention needs to be paid to the concrete implementation process of the territorial reform in order to achieve improvements in these three areas. This includes various flanking measures and also the willingness on the part of the municipal actors to actually make use of the potential for improvement that exists within the framework of their autonomy of self-government.

You will find the complete report on this page shortly.

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