Mayors receive training in governance and political management, in La Paz, Bolivia

Bolivia’s municipalities now have highly qualified human resources to provide better services for the community. A total of 150 mayors and community leaders in the municipalities of La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Chuquisaca, Oruro and Potosí received academic diplomas after completing the nine-month "Governance and Political Management Program" conceived to improve the efficiency of municipal administration.

This initiative, which is part of the CAF Governance Program, uses the design and methodology of the Graduate School of Political Management of George Washington University with local support from University Del Valle (Univalle). Professionals, leaders and support teams from local governments received training in an integrated approach to the development processes in their communities, which combines the art and science of politics with the technical instruments of management.

The CAF president, Enrique García, said democratic systems in Latin America had to be strengthened to help consolidate solid institutions with leaders motivated by democratic and ethical values and community service, in which citizens have appropriate spaces for participation. Based on this conviction, the CAF conceived the Governance Program which is operating successfully in the Andean countries. The graduation of these municipal officials is the first fruit of the program in Bolivia.

The decentralization processes now under way in Latin America require skilled leaders and support teams trained to perform their functions and authority efficiently, García added.

With this in mind, in June 2001, the "Encounter for Action" seminar was held in La Paz attended by mayors from most of Bolivia's municipalities. The local leaders agreed to start a training program aimed at improving the efficiency of municipal administration, which today concluded with the graduation of 150 participants from around Bolivia.

The participants in the course received training, advice and accompaniment in areas such as improved tax management, creation of more efficient mechanisms of accountability and fiscal control, and design of instruments for citizen participation in budget formulation. With the high quality of the program, the very latest knowledge and techniques have reached the mayors of the most remote places in the country.

Building on the program’s success, the CAF decided to renew the course for a further period in Bolivia and expand it to all the countries of the Andean region in an effort to reach all the actors in civil society, including leaders in local government and their support teams. The formation of a critical mass of actors with a sense of strategy, capacity to settle disputes and generate consensus will strengthen institutional development and improve the quality of governance in the countries of the region and their local communities.

The Bolivian program was attended by professionals and non-professionals from many disciplines. After conclusion of the academic activities, all the graduates agreed they had gained a new understanding of the relationship between technical and political aspects and acquired new concepts for making their projects viable at local level.

Governance Program

The CAF Governance Program covers complementary areas of action: the Ethics and Transparency for Development component promotes ethical behavior among social actors based on acceptance of the accountability and social control needed to legitimate their actions. The Institutional chapter stimulates development of government institutions and procedures capable of offering an efficient response to the demands of the community.

The Decentralization and Citizen Participation area is designed to train leaders and support teams in local and regional governments to carry out their responsibilities more efficiently. Finally, the Leadership for Transformation chapter is conceived to identify potential leaders and prepare the way for a new style of leadership by enriching their value systems and equipping them with the tools needed to assume future leadership roles imbued with a deep ethical, civic and democratic spirit.