Decentralisation is anchored in the 1991 constitution as part of the democratic reform process in Burkina Faso. The Burkina Faso poverty reduction strategy emphasises the importance of efficient and autonomously run structures for reducing poverty and promoting development. With the adoption of the Code Général des Collectivités Territoriales, which entered into force in 2005, the most important foundations were laid for local governance and the establishment of regional parliaments. After the adoption of fundamental directives for use, 302 rural municipalities were established in 2006 in addition to the 49 urban municipalities. That same year, the 13 regions received their elected representative bodies as local authorities. Country-wide democratic elections were held at municipal level in 2006 and the first transfer of authority to the new local authorities was introduced.

Within the scope of cooperation between Germany and Burkina Faso, advisory services are being provided to improve the framework conditions. In compliance with the development policy goals of the German Federal Government and the Action Programme 2015 on poverty reduction, the goal of cooperation is to establish and strengthen the capacity of democratically mandated government and autonomous administration structures, and popular participation in the political process. Cross-cutting themes are promoting participation by women and young people, and combating AIDS.

The priority strategy focuses on the themes of reform management, promotion of autonomous local administration, and social embedding of decentralisation. Popular participation in autonomous local authority administrations still lacks solid footing. There is scope for tapping the population's potential for improving their own living conditions and for organising themselves on a self-reliant basis. Providing a social and economic infrastructure and promoting the private sector will contribute to improving local authority revenues. A technical cooperation programme to provide advisory support to the reform will start in 2005. This also includes implementation measures at regional and local level, and assistance with donor coordination.

Although the reform measures are still relatively new, they have already led to visible economic and social improvements in the target communities, and to enhanced competence among the population and community representatives. These successes are due particularly to the infrastructure and accompanying training measures.