* SUMMARY

STRENGTHENING THE CAPACITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICER AND ACCELERATING DECENTRALIZATION, IN TIMOR-LESTE

Local development is the main goal of the Timor-Leste Government since the civil war of the county ended in 1999. In order to combat the poverty, the government of Timor-Leste have crafted many policies especially the decentralization policy which is the process of the transfer of responsibility for planning, management, and resource raising and allocation from the central government to:(a) field units of central government ministries or agencies, (b) subordinate units or levels of government, (c) semi-autonomous public authorities or operations, (d) area-wide regional or functional authorities, or(e) organizations of the private and voluntary sector”. The decentralization is a system for state management to ensure good governance, democracy and active participation from citizens leading to improved state responsibility to its people with the final goal: social stability and sustainable development.