As democracy is not an event but a complex and continuous process, it is essential that its inception and development are properly managed and nurtured. It is in this regard that this handbook will be a very useful tool in the process of promoting and developing democracy at the local level. It will be an essential reference document for all those who are involved in the political and administrative processes of democratization. It will enhance people’s capacity to manage diversity and to design appropriate systems to suit various levels and degrees of democratization.