There are three kinds of administrative decentralization: ‘de-concentration’, ‘delegation’ and ‘devolution’. De-concentration means that central government shifts responsibility for implementing a policy to its field offices. The location of the central government office changes, but the responsibility for decision-making remains in the center.

For example, high schools are a national issue, governed by national law and implemented by national agencies—building schools, administering schools, setting up curricula, hiring and paying teachers: in short, everything is done by the national level. However, since high schools are not only in the capital, but spread throughout the country, national civil servants and teachers are sent out in the country to run them, without changing the nature of a national institution.

Delegation requires the central government to refer decision-making and administrative responsibilities for various governance tasks to another level of government. Delegation involves local government having more powers to decide how policies are administered and implemented, though the decision-making about what those policies are remain at the center. This the amount of supervision or autonomy of local governments in implementing policy can vary greatly. For example, high schools are still national institutions and governed by national laws, but the implementation lies with the subunits under the general supervision of the national Ministry of Education.

Devolution represents the strongest form of administrative decentralization. It involves the transfer of a portfolio of authority to regional or local governments. This can range from the authority to implement national policy to the legislative authority to create and implement policy independently of the national government. A degree of political decentralization must accompany devolution, given that the central government no longer has sanctions over the subunits. For example, high schools are a sub-national issue, governed by sub-national law and implemented by sub-national agencies—building schools, administering schools, setting up curriculums, hiring and paying teachers: in short, everything is done by the sub-national level. Sub-national units coordinate among themselves a coherent education policy for the country.