USAID/OTI BOLIVIA HOT TOPICS
June 2006
Strengthening Ties between Citizens and Regional Governments
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| Participants work and learn together at one of dozens of workshops that departmental governments use to inform constituencies about issues of regional interest. It encourages collaboration and feedback on prefecture-led local economic development initiatives and service delivery. |
Strengthening Decentralization through Assistance to Governors program is executed by USAID/OTI with its partner Casals and Associates.
These workshops promote information exchange on regional implications of national political processes such as the Constituent Assembly and the Referendum on Autonomy. They also inform prefects about citizen priorities, helping them better allocate human and financial resources. The forum also provides the prefects with an opportunity to connect with citizens from rural, indigenous communities that live far beyond the department capitals. To date, more than 10,000 women, men and youth have participated and benefited from this joint effort by USAID and Bolivian departmental governments.
This month, José Luis Paredes, the governor, or, "prefect", of the department of La Paz, launched his administration's strategic agenda for carrying out public works, providing social services, and administering the government's financial resources. These accomplishments, also recently achieved in the Departments of Sucre, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz, were considered very unlikely to be completed by year's end when the prefects took office in January 2006.
Since Bolivia declared independence in 1825, prefects have been appointed by the President of the Republic. This practice changed in December 2005 when, for the first time in history, Bolivians were able to determine the leaders of the regional governments by direct election. The historic election of prefects has raised public expectations of decentralization, and increased pressure on departmental governments. However, elected prefects only had limited strategic capability to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
USAID/OTI responded quickly, providing targeted technical assistance designed to build the capacity of prefect-led departmental governments and their staff. Within one month of the beginning of the prefects' tenures, OTI instituted mobile teams of sectoral experts to assist prefectures in developing strategic agendas for executing annual and five-year operating plans, and develop information management, communications, and financial systems. OTI also helped prefects prioritize and implement visible, high-impact activities in the immediate term.
In La Paz, OTI funded a series of forums and workshops that allowed the prefecture to better evaluate needs in rural areas, deliver services and carry out public works earlier than anticipated. The prefecture expects to implement 30% more of its annual operating plan than it did last year. OTI also helped the prefecture rehabilitate and equip a key technical training institute based in El Alto, start up an innovative new youth employment program that will train and employ 900 rural youths, and provide physical education and recreational equipment to municipalities throughout the department.
For further information, please contact:
In Washington, D.C: Russell Porter, Regional Team Leader, 202-712-5455, rporter@usaid.gov
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