Abstract
Decentralization involves the transfer of authority, resources, and responsibilities from a central entity to local governmental levels. The study aims to examine the public perceptions of administrative decentralization and its association with service delivery in Qardho District, Puntland State of Somalia, targeting a total of 199 participants selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using STATA software version 14. Correlation analyses were employed to examine the relationship between administrative decentralization and public service delivery. A simple linear regression was utilized to determine the Public Perceptions of Administrative Decentralization and its Association with Service Delivery. The study identified a positive and statistically significant correlation between administrative decentralization and public service delivery (r = 0.24, p = 0.01). Moreover, administrative decentralization serves as a significant predictor of public service delivery [β = 0.199, p = 0.001, 95% CI (0.088, 0.310)]. The findings indicate a s tatistically significant positive association between perceived administrative decentralization and perceived public service delivery outcomes within the sample.