SANTA ROSA DE COPÁN MUNICIPALITYHONDURAS, C.A. 

CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AND TRANSPARENCY IN LOCAL, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Presented by Juan Carlos Elvir

Mayor, Santa Rosa de Copán

May, 2003

Usual Problems in a local government

Lack of institutional planning and development.

Weak participation of citizens and civil society in public administration.

Low institutional credibility leads to scant tax culture and discrediting of public function due to nonexistent accountability.

Concept of Citizen Participation

- Participation as attending meetings or receiving information.

- Understood to be an inquiry through which opinions are expressed, but without having deciding power.

- Participation understood as exercising shared power (decision making) and shared citizen responsibility (this is the concept applied in Santa Rosa).

Social, Citizen and Institutional Participation Strategy

Goals of the strategy General Goal: 

To promote a transparent municipal development process in a concerted, democratic and participatory manner, under the aegis of local government, civil society and private and public institutions.

Concept of Transparency in Local Public Administration

Application of existing Legal Framework (Art. 80 of the Constitution, Art.59 of the Municipalities Bill).

Establish broad accountability mechanisms that include irreversible actions in local public government.. (Financial Statements on the Internet, Informative Meetings, Reliable external audits, detailed Government Reports, Discussion of Taxes, etc.)

Information will become a means of communication with the understanding that a well informed resident becomes a responsible citizen.

Propose and implement strategies to teach society to respect public administration (accountability mechanisms for associations, social organizations, school boards, etc. Campaigns to create awareness of the importance of moral value and local pride, promotion of the existence and importance of the Transparency Commission).

Implementation of greater democracy in community organization.

Transparency as a real and irreversible instrument in promoting community development.

V. PRINCIPAL RESULTS

Increase in tax income ( from Lps.7.5 to Lps. 27.9 million in four years).

Increased generation of a volunteer culture.

Establishment of the Consejo Ciudadano de Desarrollo (COCDEM), structuring of 14 Citizen Commission and their respective Strategic Plan, renewal of 69 community associations with secret vote (participation by residents grew more than 500%)

Holding of public meetings, open, informative, consulting and discussion town councils, plebiscites, appearances on television, etc.

62% reduction in crime.

VI. CONCLUSIONS

This process requires political willingness and opening up of society. All transparency processes must first awaken interest regarding public administration.

There is consensus that the Development Problem should be addressed by three actors: Local Government, Civil Society, Institutions.

Political party sectarianism is a threat to promoting participation; therefore, transparency is necessary.