World Bank Discussion Paper No. 290. Draws on the lessons of experience of developing countries in decentralizing infrastructure and provides new empirical evidence on the quantitative and qualitative effects of decentralization. This collection of five papers highlights the lessons of the World Bank's research and experience on the linkages between infrastructure and decentralization. The paper provides: - A summary of the lessons from World Bank experience, giving a general review of the importance of the decentralization of infrastructure - A review of the institutional aspects of decentralization and their implications for policy design - An empirical assessment of the consequences of decentralization for expenditure levels and performance in infrastructure - An outline for a research agenda on decentralization in light of recent developments in the theory of the firm. - The authors conclude that some degree of decentralization will improve performance in certain areas of infrastructure such as roads and electricity.