In their political orientation the reforms were directed at enlarging the rights and opportunities of the (local) citizens to infiuence, and 'participate' in local decision-making. In their administrative aspects different dimensions can be discerned :
- In the intergovernmental (vertical) aspect a further distinction can be made between decentralisation, that is, the devolution of upper-level functions to elected and politically accountable local government units, and deconcentration, that is the transfer of administrative functions from one administrative unit to a lower administrative level.
- Another important strategy of administrative reforms of local government pertains to territorial reforms which are typically meant to put local government functions on a territorially more viable basis.
- Reforms that aimed at improving the functioning of (still largely 'Weberiam') administrative structures (and personnel) by the ontroduction of planning, information and evaluation capacities, including an early thrust of management concepts and instruments ('management by objectives').