Further Evidence on the Correlation Between Legitimacy and Public Policy Performance Through the Case of Natural Resource Revenue-Sharing Policy in Mozambique

Building on scholarly developments in public policy legitimacy, particularly regarding its relationship to policy effectiveness and compliance, this study seeks to expand the empirical evidence on the role of legitimacy in public policy processes and its impact on policy outcomes. This is achieved through the analysis of the Natural Resource Revenue-Sharing Mechanism (NRRSM) in Mozambique’s extractive sector. Based on data collected in the districts of Govuro and Inhassoro in Inhambane Province, Mozambique, where the country’s first large-scale natural gas investment is located, the study reveals significant challenges affecting the legitimacy of the NRRSM, of which lack of genuine community engagement in decision-making, weaknesses in transparency and accountability, and a misalignment between policy content and the needs and priorities of local communities remain the most pronounced. Overall, this study’s evidence suggests that the limited perceived legitimacy in NRRSM is closely related to its perceived limited performance and outcomes.