Definitions of the local communities should consider the current administrative organization
of the territory: they could represent an appropriate social construction unit in terms of listening to
the community, empowering it, or even assessing the economic or other benefits to the local
economy (Hampton, 2005). Linking the administrative structures with the decentralization process,
Zhao (2009) has observed that local communities result after this process as it involves a shift of the
power and responsibilities from central government to local governments, local communities, and
the private sector. Political aspects must be regarded in the definition of these communities as many
of the development initiatives need to take place at the local level and the local government is
increasingly recognized as a new forum for bottom-up political decision-making prioritizing the
needs of local communities (Evans, 2009).