The design of decentralization strategies is not the exclusive responsibility of central government. It is also that of the municipalities themselves. However, decentralization is often seen as freeing the central government of certain responsibilities and not as a common effort between the central and local level to improve the delivery of public services. Poorly organized and represented municipalities have often not been able to actively/effectively participate in the strategy formulation process, act as a check on government and help avoid painful mistakes. Limited capacity, absence of leadership and lack of consensus among local governments on the desirability of decentralization, have contributed to this situation.