This report is a summary of the SDC and IDS e-discussion (held prior to the f2f event) in regard to the following questions:
- What types of “informal, traditional or religious authorities/institutions” organise citizen interaction and engagement with the state in different parts of the world?
- How do they work, and what types of governance functions do they take on? What role do they play in the areas of citizen participation, inclusive decision-making, and service provision?
- What is the potential for their more formal inclusion within local governance processes, and how will this help advance policy objectives and the promotion of democratic practice? How does it impact on socially inclusive governance practices and gender equality?
SDC DDLGN 
Great work by the research team. Authority is about defining and above all enforcing rules. The success of many projects depends on the enforcement of rules. Think about forest or irrigation management for example. Often we have formal authorities unwilling to enforce rules. The project could continue researching cases where informal authorities successfully substitute formal ones. And when this happens, has this a positive impact on formal authorities’ willigness to enforce rules?
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