Programme description

Title: Good governance at decentralised level and poverty reduction
Commissioned by: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
Country: Paraguay
Lead executing agency: Secretaría Técnica de Planificación (STP)
Overall term: November 2003 to Oktober 2012

Context

Due to the country’s long prior history of authoritarianism, the need to reform governmental structures in Paraguay is greater than in other Latin American countries. In spite of significant progress, such as a democratic constitution, freedom of the press and of opinion, the election of governors and mayors and relative autonomy for municipalities, the country is still far from being a stabilised democracy. The political culture has not kept pace with the development of formal democracy. In spite of macroeconomic improvements, there has been no major change in the population’s poverty, the high level of corruption and the low productivity. The actions of governmental institutions are opaque and inefficient at all levels. They are marked by structures of patronage which are based on a power relationship between higher-status and lower-status individuals and organisations and which are aimed at mutual advantage.

Objective

Selected municipalities in five regions in Paraguay organise their development efficiently, participatively and transparently.

Approach

The programme includes four components:

• The improvement of municipal management
• Local inter-institutional coordination and citizen participation
• Cooperation between local and central financial administration
• Dissemination of examples worth emulating

Selected municipal governments in five regions of Paraguay, including their internal and external relations, are the programme’s focus. Their performance capabilities and potential are developed and strengthened.

Specialist, process and policy advisory services on subjects such as municipal administration, cooperation management and citizen participation as well as the further training of management and specialised personnel of the various intermediary organisations are central programme contributions. In addition, citizens’ initiatives receive local grants in order to strengthen their capacity for political participation.

In keeping with Paraguay’s government programme “Agenda for a better country” (2003 to 2008), the programme supports good governance and civil society. The programmes of other international donors for modernisation of the state in Paraguay are supplemented by systematically linking the various initiatives at local level.

Further information

• Programa Buen Gobierno descentralizado y reducción de la pobreza
  Local website of the Programme
  www.gtzparaguay.org