Leadership, Governance, and Local Development in Southeast Asia: A Comparative Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This study examines the role of leadership in shaping governance processes, public service delivery, and local development outcomes within decentralized systems in Southeast Asia using a qualitative systematic literature review guided by the PRISMA framework. It synthesizes empirical studies published from 2010 to 2025 focusing on local government institutions in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, and other ASEAN member’s state. Literature searches were conducted through Google Scholar and ProQuest using keywords related to leadership, decentralization, governance, and public service delivery. From 1,000 initially identified records, 895 were excluded during initial screening and 53 were removed after full-text assessment, resulting in 52 studies included in the final synthesis. Findings reveal that leadership plays a central role in translating decentralization reforms into effective governance and development outcomes by strengthening accountability, decision-making, stakeholder engagement, institutional coordination, and service responsiveness. However, leadership effectiveness is highly context-dependent and is shaped by institutional design, political dynamics, administrative capacity, fiscal resources, and patronage or elite influence. The review further shows that even capable leaders may experience limited outcomes when governance systems are weak or politically constrained. The study concludes that improving decentralized governance requires a dual focus on leadership capacity-building and institutional reform, emphasizing ethical governance, participatory leadership, merit-based systems, and accountability mechanisms to support sustainable and inclusive development across Southeast Asia.