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A key theme in the current transformation of local government is the idea of decentralization. A growing number of local authorities are devolving responsibility to neighbourhood offices and developing new mechanisms for getting closer to their consumers and citizens. This article sets out a conceptual framework for understanding trends in local authority management and suggests that the movement towards decentralization is gathering pace. It clarifies the different objectives which can be pursued using decentralization, outlines five strategies for achieving change and maps alternative scenarios for local authority management in the 1990s.