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One way of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to improve the delivery of basic social services, specifically to the poor. This issue of the Development ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ News looks into how MDG-related social services such as education, health, and water are delivered in the context of decentralization. Discussing the highlights of a joint study by the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ and the United Nations Children`s Fund, the lead feature presents a useful way of understanding the country`s level of achievement of the MDG targets. In particular, the joint study argues that improving local service delivery (LSD) is about improving people`s lives. It is premised on the idea that better provision of public goods and services is a prerequisite to realizing human capabilities, thus expanding human freedoms and enhancing human lives for a better society.