540 participants from Peru in the 16 edition of the Governance, Policy and Public Management Program

540 participants – including public and private sector officials, as well as leaders of non-governmental organizations from Arequipa, Cajamarca, Cusco, Huancayo, Lima, Tarapoto and Trujillo – are part of the 16^th edition of the Governance, Political and Public Management Program, designed and run by CAF-development bank of Latin America- in partnership with the School of Governance of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP).

Eleonora Silva Pardo, CAF’s Director-Representative for , stressed the work of the multilateral financial institution in favor of sustainable development of Latin American countries by financing infrastructure projects. She also argued that adequate infrastructure is of little use without proper management; therefore, it is also CAF’s mission to promote a democratic culture in our societies.

“This program was created 16 years ago in order to train public officials and civil society members to help them achieve more transparent management, based on democratic principles, dialogue, negotiation, and accountability. This becomes more relevant considering everything that is happening globally and locally, particularly in Peru, which is on the eve of regional elections. Over the next six months, they will have the opportunity to update their knowledge, become professionals and expand their vision in order to improve their capabilities and promote the development of the nation with enthusiasm and commitment,” she added.

In addition, Carlos Alza, director of the PUCP School of Governance and Public Policy, said that the call process resulted in 1,900 applications, of which 540 participants were selected from six regional campuses across the nation, to receive training over the next six months in political science and public management, but also to reflect on good governance and prospects for the nation, negotiation and conflict resolution, political communication and democratic values.

Alza highlighted that the Peru has just overcome a political crisis, and that the nation faces now great challenges and the new administration is expected to deliver positive results in the field of governance. “We expect an administration that operates in favor of citizens, improving their human development standards, quality of life and ensuring the exercise of their freedoms,” he concluded.

The opening ceremony included the lecture: “International conditions and Peru’s economic management: challenges for 2021” by Waldo Mendoza, professor and researcher in the Department of Economics of PUCP, chairman of the Board of Auditors and member of the Advisory Council of the Judiciary.

Mendoza estimated that the growth expected for Latin American economies will average 3.1%, and that countries with the highest growth would include Panama (5.5%), Paraguay (4.5%), Bolivia (4.0%), as well as Uruguay and Chile (3.4%). He also stressed that Peru has good prospects, with a projected growth of around 3.7%, one of the highest in the region.

CAF runs the Governance, Policy and Public Management Program in Peru since 2003, in partnership with the PUCP, which has trained more than 5,000 Peruvians in more than 133 municipalities in the main regions of the country. In Latin America, the program has 17 years of experience in 10 countries across the continent, graduating about 24,000 students, which makes this initiative a solid training alternative for national, state and municipal government institutions throughout the region.