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Nowadays many countries, including least developed ones, are decentralizing their educational management system to district and local levels with the aim of providing better service; improving quality, access, and efficiency as well as sharing cost of education. Ethiopia has also decentralized its educational management system by giving due considerations to the expected benefits out of it. However, effectiveness in achieving the above mentioned objectives of decentralized educational management calls for effective and efficient planning and management capacity; and adequate system resources at local level. With this in view, this book assessed the factors related to managerial practices affecting the effectiveness of decentralized duties and responsibilities at DEOs in SNNPR, Ethiopia. Therefore, it is my belief that this book will be of the benefit for the researchers, practitioners, planners and decision makers who are working in decentralized educational management system in Ethiopia and in any other developing countries.

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Assefa Beyene Bassa is a Lecturer in Dilla University, Ethiopia in the Department of Educational Leadership. He earned his BA and MA in Educational Planning and Management from Addis Ababa University.

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