A research on local governance tools used in Turkey: The case of Uşak province

This study has the objective of analyzing the governance tools used in local administrations and examining the extent to which municipalities adopt these tools. The research explores the transition of public administration to governance by examining the key actors, principles, and local governance tools associated with the concept of governance. Within the scope of the study, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with employees working in local municipalities in Uşak province. These face-to-face interviews have been recorded using audio recording and note-taking methods, and the collected data have been subjected to descriptive and content analysis using the MAXQDA 2020 software. The findings indicate that the level of use of governance tools by municipalities directly affects public participation in decision-making processes. Participants highlighted that individual applications and e-municipality services are the most effective mechanisms for increasing public interaction while the insufficient use of participatory mechanisms such as city councils and referendums is worth reconsidering. The findings suggest that municipalities should increase their investments in these tools and emphasize the importance of training and awareness programs to help employees better internalize the governance approach.