Governance Program 2012 begins in Bolivia

(La Paz, June 27, 2012). - CAF - development bank of Latin America - began its programs: Training of Leaders for the Transformation and Governance and Political Management at national level as part of its work in the field of democratic governance across Latin America.

 

"These programs are designed to train and support leaders with long-term vision, equipping them with new tools and guidance on ethical practice, with the aim that, by exercising their leadership, they will initiate self-sustaining, transparent and participative transformation processes," Emilio Uquillas, CAF director representative in Bolivia, said. "One of the key components of the Integrated Development Agenda proposed by CAF is the quality of human capital, which is why the organization makes efforts to promote maximum use of the capacities that exist in society," he added.

 

Six hundred participants have registered for this year's eighth Training Leaders for the Transformation program to be held in Bolivia's nine departmental capitals, along with Riberalta, Viacha and El Alto municipalities.

 

Designed and implemented by CAF, the program is held in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela and executed locally by the IDEA Foundation.

 

The participating leaders from urban and rural areas are given country vision and civic-democratic values to build their capacity to transform the political, social and economic situation in their countries.

 

The course, which consists of 12 modules and a total of 220 hours of study in leadership training, covers the topics of public management, economic and social policies and processes, fiscal and financial policies, governance, citizen participation, environment, consensus building, negotiation and conflict resolution, citizenship and leadership, human rights and democracy.

 

Participants who successfully complete the program receive, if they have an academic degree (technical or bachelor), the Diploma in Formation of Leaders for the Transformation issued by the Bolivian Catholic University (UCB). Those who do not have a degree, receive a Diploma of participation issued by CAF and the IDEA Foundation.

 

Up to 2011, a total of 4,292 Bolivians had received training under the program, and a large percentage have implemented projects of high interest for their communities or municipalities, which in several cases have been included in the Annual Operating Programs (AOPs) of their districts.

 

The Governance and Political Management program, designed by CAF based on the methodology of George Washington University and implemented in Bolivia with the help of El Valle University (Univalle), is now beginning its twelfth year with entries accepted until first half of June.

 

Since its inception in 2001, the program has trained 1,971 public officials from 195 municipalities, including mayors, councilors, departmental advisors, deputies, heads of vigilance committees, members of municipal technical teams, leaders of organizations working with municipalities, and citizens committed to the development of their communities.

 

Participation in this year's program, which ends in November, is estimated at over 200 representatives of public institutions and social organizations who will be equipped with knowledge and tools to help them speed up processes of change and municipal development with higher levels of democratic governance.

 

The CAF program is executed in partnership with prestigious universities in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.