Venezuela: Governance and Political Management Program

Andean Universities and George Washington University join support for Governance and Political Management Program

• The Program is an instrument for training local leaders in the context of an ethical democratic culture.

CAF Executive President Enrique García, accompanied by rectors from universities in the Andean countries, and the dean of the School of Political Management of the George Washington University, signed today in Caracas technical cooperation agreements in support of the Governance and Political Management Program, which offers face-to-face and distance training for leaders and their support teams from national, subnational government and civil organizations.

At the signing ceremony, Enrique García said that the CAF has incorporated support for this program into its action strategies. The program is designed to create critical awareness among professionals so that they understand the relation between political, technical and social issues, and make headway with processes of institutional change that benefit all social strata.

This Program, which began in Bolivia in 2001, was such a success that the CAF extended it to the other countries of the Andean region with the aim of achieving the participation of all actors in civil society, municipal leaders and their support teams. The formation of a critical mass of actors, with a strategic sense and the capacity to settle disputes and build consensus, strengthens institutional development and improves the levels of governance of the countries of the region and their communities.

The Governance and Political Management Program is a strategic alliance formed by the CAF, George Washington University, and Andean universities. One of its strengths is that it was conceived on the basis of each country's needs, adapting to their situation and developing with local universities, including Del Valle Private University of Bolivia; University of the Andes, Bucaramanga Autonomous University, both in Colombia; Catholic Pontifical University and Santiago Catholic University of Guayaquil, both in Ecuador; Catholic Pontifical University of Peru; and the Andres Bello Catholic University of Venezuela.

So far, 1,200 participants have graduated from the Program in the five Andean countries with 3 promotions in Bolivia, 1 in Colombia, 2 in Ecuador, 1 in Peru and 1 in Venezuela. It is planned to extend the program at the request of other CAF shareholder countries starting with Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.