Over the past few decades, a wave of decentralization and state reform has devolved to local and regional governments (LRGs) many key competences and functions previously held by national ones. As a result, LRGs now provide a wide range of services and perform functions whose delivery necessarily relies on the presence of an adequately staffed, skilled and dedicated local public service workforce. A 2016 joint study from the OECD and UCLG counted over 500,000 LRGs around the world. The professional paths, recruitment, financing, pay systems, and working conditions of LRG workers vary significantly from one country and locality to