This resource was developed to help students learn about local government and its impact on their daily lives. While the guide was generally designed for Grade 5 students learning about social studies and history, teachers from other subject areas and age-groups will also find information and exercises applicable to developing knowledge and skills for students in a range of subject areas such as math, economics, geography, business, science, writing, information technology, careers and general research. The guide offers many cross-curricular resources and activities.

This topic guide provides practical guidance for designing, implementing and evaluating decentralisation reforms and local government practices to ensure they are as effective as possible. It includes summaries of key texts and provides links to cutting edge research and recent case studies.