Inception Report – Action plan – Salcedo, Dominican Republic, 2023 – 2024
Overview
Name of Evaluator
Roberto José González Viñas
Member Name
Salcedo, Dominican Republic
Action PlanAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen... Title
Action plan – Salcedo, Dominican Republic, 2023 – 2024
Section 1.
Compliance with
co-creation requirements
1.1 Does a forum exist?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
Within the framework of the open government approach, the Municipal Development Council is considered a fundamental instrument of participation at the municipal level and of its own dynamics (Law No. 498-06) from the local government.
Among its roles, it (i) knows the open government approach and focuses its values at the local level; (ii) reviews, reformulates and approves a draft strategic vision of Local Open Government; (iii) defines the problems of the areas identified through a SWOT analysis.
The Municipal Development Council, as a local government mechanism, constitutes a “space for participation (forum)” that “allows for permanent dialogue and co-creation”, which is convened “regularly” through its line of work and calls for “multi-stakeholder” meetings.
With the endorsement of the Council itself, extended sessions of the Council were convened with the extraordinary participation of people representative of the community, thus increasing its representativeness, identifying people who have contributions and are involved in the work of the communities, carrying out a more representative “general consultation”. Great experience bringing credibility to the process through the selection of additional stakeholders.
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
• Law 498-06
• Resolution of the Municipal Council creating the Municipal Development Council
• List of participating members
1.2 Is the forum multi-stakeholder?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
It is composed of the Mayor, the President of the Municipal Council, the Director of the District Board of Jamao, a representative of the business associations and the Chamber of Commerce and Production of the municipality, a representative of the higher educationAccountability within the public education system is key to improving outcomes and attainment, and accountability is nearly impossible without transparent policies and opportunities for participation ... institutions, a representative of the professional associations of the municipality, a representative of the agricultural associations, a representative of the neighborhood councils and a representative of the non-governmental organizations recognized for their work in the community.
As a result of the co-creation processCollaboration between government, civil society and other stakeholders (e.g., citizens, academics, private sector) is at the heart of the OGP process. Participating governments must ensure that a dive..., it was decided to hold expanded sessions of the Municipal Development Council and to increase the number of civil society representatives by resolution of the Municipal Council. This decision made it possible to broaden the base and representativeness of other community structures and groups in the social, productive, genderOGP participating governments are bringing gender perspectives to popular policy areas, ensuring diversity in participatory processes, and specifically targeting gender gaps in policies to address gov..., youthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... and other areas, expanding and strengthening the community leadership of groups previously excluded from participation, representation and decision making in the Municipal Development Council, thus increasing the credibility of the process developed.
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
Constitution of the current Municipal Development Council
1.3 Does the forum hold at least one meeting with civil society and non-governmental stakeholders during the co-creation of the action plan?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
Under this premise, through the Municipal Development Council, as a local government mechanism, and which constitutes a “space for participation” (forum) during the co-creation process, a set of selected activities were carried out during the last quarter of 2022, aimed at shaping the five (5) action plans approved by the municipality, with the active participation of civil society and non-governmental actors of the municipality, where the forum was a fundamental mechanism of the process.
This active participation became a reality through the development of individual “Facilitation Agendas” for the sequential activities of the (i) Municipal Development Council, (ii) Municipal Forum, (iii) Community Workshops, with 6 rural workshops and 3 municipal workshops and (iv) Thematic Work Tables, constituted the axis of the link between civil society and non-governmental actors, with a broad consultation base that contemplated “from the rural to the urban” with the open government process promoted by the Municipal Development Council of the Municipality of Salcedo.
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
• Convocations and their guests
• List of participants
• Agendas prepared by type of activity
• Reports of activities carried out
• Record of approved commitments
1.4 Has the action plan been endorsed by the stakeholders of the forum or steering committeeThe Steering Committee is OGP’s executive decision-making body. Its role is to develop, promote and safeguard OGP’s values, principles and interests; establish OGP’s core ideas, policies, and ru.../group?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The endorsement by the stakeholders who participate and get involved in the Municipal Development Council takes place in the “Working Tables”, the last activity in the sequence of the co-creation process.
The Tables are the spaces where the problems, ideas and proposals arising from the participatory processes are processed. Their objective is to transform ideas into concrete proposals that respond to the criteria of open government within the framework of eminently participatory processes.
The methodology of the aforementioned roundtables involves the drafting of minutes with the conclusions and the list of participants, thus recording the participants of the process, attending to the prioritization of problems and solutions and the drafting of commitments, valuing the increase in the membership of the Municipal Council.
In this way, the Action Plan receives the endorsement of the stakeholders of the Municipal Development Council and its governing bodies, by participating and signing their presence and committing their support to the expected implementation of these solution processes.
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
• List of prioritizations of problems and solutions
• Drafting of Commitments and their signatures
Section 2.
Recommended practices
in co-creation
2.1 Does the government maintain a Local OGP website or webpage on a government website where information on the OGP Local process (co-creation and implementation) is proactively published?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The General Directorate of Ethics and Government Integrity (DIGEIG) serves as the governing body for ethics, transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More, open government, anti-corruption efforts, conflict of interest management, and free access to information within the government administrative sphere. Its website features the “Enlace de interés Gobierno Abierto RD,” which includes documents such as: (i) the V Action Plan of the Dominican Republic for the Open Government PartnershipThe Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on improving government transparency, ensuring opportunities for citizen participation in public matters, and strengthen... More 2022-2024; (ii) Decree 8-23, aimed at promoting the implementation of the Action Plan; and (iii) a portal for suggestions regarding Open DataBy opening up data and making it sharable and reusable, governments can enable informed debate, better decision making, and the development of innovative new services. Technical specifications: Polici.... Additionally, the website provides access to further information on Open Government, including videos that explain its objectives and scope.
Although the municipality of Salcedo’s website displays the OGP logo, it does not yet offer information on the OGP process.
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
• Decree 8-23
• V Action Plan
• Access to view Open Government videos and reviews
• Review the Mayor’s Office OGP Access
2.2 Did the government provide information to stakeholders in advance to facilitate informed and prepared participation in the co-creation process?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The co-creation process starts with the workshop of the Expanded Municipal Development Council, followed by the Training of Promoters, the Information Campaign and the development of the Community Workshops.
In the eight (8) Community Workshops, leaders from urban and rural communities participate, and half of the participants are women. There they identify problems, ideas for action by area and as expected results the “ideas for action identified and prioritized by each area” and then the conclusions are sent to the participants in advance to facilitate informed and prepared participation.
The next step is the execution of the Municipal Forum with “community representatives, leaders and municipal authorities” and the Working Groups, where “inter-institutional participation” is promoted, and the conclusions are then sent to the participants at the end of each type of activity, thus serving as input for the subsequent activity, highlighting the involvement of government and civil society stakeholders.
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
• Compiled conclusions of the Forum / Working Groups
• Record of referral to the participants
• List of participants and government and civil society sectors represented
2.3 Did the government ensure that any interested member of the public could make inputs into the action plan and observe or have access to decision-making documentation?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The dynamics with the communities are implemented, starting with the Municipal Development Council and its presentation of diagnostic data for each identified area and its corresponding SWOT and forwarding the conclusions to the participants.
The next sequential activities are:
– Community workshop, with the participation of community leaders who present by area in each group the ideas and problems that they defined, and at the end of the workshop they send them to the participants.
– Municipal forum, where community representatives and municipal leaders and authorities prioritize ideas for action, present group work and then forward it to the participants.
– Working groups, where problems, ideas and proposals arising from participatory processes are processed, with the identification of actors representing the ASFL, Central Government and Experts. There they prioritize problems and solutions, draft commitments and finally also send them to the participants.
– It is observed that all consultation processes are public consultations carried out to gather contributions from civil society and citizens.
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
• Proof of the workshop, forum and roundtable discussions.
• List of agreed commitments
• List of participants
2.4 Did the government proactively report back or provide written feedback to stakeholders on how their contributions were considered during the creation of the action plan?
No
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
No information is available.
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
No information is available.
2.5 Was there an iterative dialogue and shared ownership between government and non-governmental stakeholders during the decision making process, including setting the agenda?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The Expanded Municipal Development Council, community workshops and roundtables related to this process. In fact, the co-creation process has led to the participatory identification of an agenda of five (5) concrete, relevant and measurable municipal commitments to be fulfilled during the term of the municipal government, to which the authorities have agreed to respond to the citizens.
These commitments have involved the active participation of local authorities, the community, social organizations and central government representatives in the identification of the prioritized and agreed commitments, in a consultative and validating process of the problems, solutions, follow-up and permanent monitoring of the local government’s actions, accompanied by the necessary coordination with the central government, through an iterative process with the use of information and permanent verification instruments, and thus validating the associated milestones.
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
• List of guests
• List of participants
• Means of verification identified
• List of selected milestones
2.6 Would you consider the forum to be inclusive and diverse?
Moderately
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The Municipal Development Council proposed as lines of consultation with the population to activate consensus with the communities through the political parties represented in the mayor’s office, taking the themes (i) inclusionOGP participating governments are working to create governments that truly serve all people. Commitments in this area may address persons with disabilities, women and girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, tr...; (ii) territory; (iii) environment and (iv) viability.
Within the framework of the Community Workshops, a meeting of leaders from all the urban and rural communities of the municipal district, the participants were selected based on their participation in the Participatory Budget process, where it should be noted that half of the participants had to be women, taking an active part in the (i) processes of identification of felt problems and (ii) the identification of ideas for each area.
This model of inclusion makes possible the participation of a group regularly excluded from community participation and decision making and therefore not taken into consideration, which is a remarkable criterion to rescue the call for the search to identify problems and seek alternative solutions for the benefit of their communities.
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
• Guest List
• Attendance list
• List of agreements reached
Section 3.
Initial evaluation
of commitments
1 CommitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action... :
2 Application of urban planning regulations
1.1 Is the commitment verifiable?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The design of the commitment establishes a set of activities that are identifiable, within the framework of the problem, with the participation of citizens, who are the key actors and at the same time the final beneficiaries of the interventions.
We refer to activities such as vertical and horizontal signage, unoccupied sidewalks, loading and unloading schedules and street lighting. It also contemplates an urban viability plan and a plan for road education and increased control and surveillance.
The results are measurable, as indicators of achievement have been established, such as a reduction in traffic accidents, greater fluidity of vehicular flow and improved pedestrian viability. A system of consequences is also contemplated.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Approval of the road traffic study by the Municipal Council.
- Approved designs of vertical and horizontal traffic signs and signals
- Proof of financial support from local companies for signage and educational campaigns
1.2 Does the commitment language/activities clearly justify relevanceAccording to the OGP Articles of Governance, OGP commitments should include a clear open government lens. Specifically, they should advance at least one of the OGP values: transparency, citizen partic... to OGP values?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
This commitment is aimed at satisfying a priority need of the municipality, standing out as a “public policy” of municipal road planning, through the “institutionalism” of the municipal mayor’s office, making use of a “decision-making process” that highlights OGP values. In this sense, its relevance points to transparency, stating that this road management plan “will be agreed upon by all sectors, which will promote a climate of consensus and transparency”.
It also aims to improve the “governance” of this issue in the municipality, as this problem has “proposed solutions” that consolidate the management initiatives of processes “where stakeholders and beneficiaries go together towards a common goal”. Its relevance is also found in “participation and inclusion”, selecting an issue that affects “pedestrians”, “mainly the elderly and people with some difficulty of movement”.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Minutes of approval of the Municipal Council and ordinance
- Traffic accident statistics
- Traffic ticket statistics
1.3 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
a continuation of ongoing practice in line with existing legislationCreating and passing legislation is one of the most effective ways of ensuring open government reforms have long-lasting effects on government practices. Technical specifications: Act of creating or r..., policies or requirements.
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
This commitment constitutes the continuity of a public policy on road planning that must be implemented at the municipal level, and in this particular case of the municipality is aimed at satisfying “collective needs” beyond individual desires and needs.
In addition to the Municipal Mayor’s Office, the National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (INTRANT) and the Directorate of Security of Transit and Land Transportation (DIGESETT) are involved in the discussion of the issue.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Request for invitations to INTRANT and DIGESETT to assume their role at the municipal level via the Municipal Development Council.
- Minutes of meetings
1.4 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
will result in a change of the rules, practices or policies that govern a policy area, public sector and/or relationship between citizens and is binding or institutionalized across government or specific institution(s).
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The effort to achieve compliance with the commitment and its intended scope entails an approach that highlights several aspects:
(i) It must be seen as an effort to organize a municipality, at the municipality’s request, and give importance and validity to a public policy with an application at the municipal level.
(ii) It involves stakeholders and beneficiaries who will benefit the most from the road measures to be implemented.
(iii) It should be seen “as a positive change” and as an example to be followed by other municipalities, given the empowerment of the Municipal Development Council, involving government, civil society and other actors such as the Council of the Strategic Plan of Santiago.
(iv) (iv) It has the particularity of being a collective effort of municipal authorities, citizens, central government, local companies such as the participating Cooperatives, civil society organizations, which play a role in making it transparent, under a novel scheme of governance, participatory and inclusive.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Minutes of approval of the Municipal Council and ordinance
- Minutes of meetings
1.5 Are there any recommended changes to the design of the commitment to help improve its implementation?
In order to fully comply with the commitment, it has been necessary to implement several agreements and work plans that to date and for various reasons have limited the scope of the commitment and its milestones. We highlight:
(i) The flow of financial resources that have prevented INTRANT and DIGESETT from fulfilling their role in the municipality according to the requests processed from the Mayor’s Office.
(ii) To grant a longer execution period, so that the results are visible in stages and the actors and beneficiaries can visualize the achievements and expected impacts through the months following the implemented improvements.
(iii) (iii) As a result of the execution to date, additionally incorporate a set of viable suggestions; which can be summarized as (a) educational campaign by means of perifoneo; (b) public hearings to incorporate the participation of private actors of the municipality (cooperatives); (c) request the support of the churches of the municipality; (d) expand urban public lighting; and (e) signage and lighting in rural areas.
2 Commitment :
Enabling urban parks (especially Parque Lineal and other river canyons) and creation of urban parks by acquiring land by the municipality and creating green spaces with planters and other solutions.
2.1 Is the commitment verifiable?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The design of the commitment establishes a set of activities that are identifiable, within the framework of the problem of the elderly, since there are no public services necessary for appropriate care, where citizens, together with civil society, the mayor’s office and the central government are interested in the search for increasingly inclusive collective solutions.
The results are of a measurable nature, since a solution proposal has been established aimed at strengthening the entity “Casa de la Tercera Edad” that has been operating since 2011, where there are indicators of achievement, such as the allocation of personnel to carry out home visits, while strengthening it with cleaning and food services during visits.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Communications to CONAPE
- Annual Reports and Annual Report
2.2 Does the commitment language/activities clearly justify relevance to OGP values?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
This commitment is aimed at meeting a need that has been prioritized since 2011 by the municipality and its authorities, standing out as a “municipal care policy” for adults in particular conditions due to their age and condition, creating an “example and role model with a high level of effectiveness”, and highlighting OGP values.
In this sense, this commitment bets on “transparency”, as it is implemented jointly by civil society, the mayor’s office and agencies (CONAPE) of the central government. It is also “participatory”, since it promotes “an active life of the elderly” and now through the implementation of the commitment seeks to “strengthen home care”.
It is “responsible” to the extent that it focuses on responding to a common need of lack of attention of a public service to properly serve citizens, where the great social changes in recent years find these adults unprepared to face this new stage of their personal life and that makes it difficult for them to have access to a “socially active life”.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Record number of weekly visits to beneficiaries
- Budget execution report
- Report of activities executed per quarter
2.3 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
a continuation of ongoing practice in line with existing legislation, policies or requirements.
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
This commitment constitutes the continuity of a successful municipal care policy, already replicated in another municipality (Tenares) in the Hermanas Mirabal province, which testifies to its positive vision of the continuity of a successfully replicated municipal policy.
It is worth noting that this continuation of the ongoing practice in line with Salcedo’s municipal legislation, provides fundamental lessons learned to successfully continue its development and “serve as a model”.
We refer to (i) increased communication with the mayor’s office; (ii) increased communication with donors; (iii) greater visibility of the activities implemented; (iv) visibility in investigative television programs and reports; and (v) serving as a pilot experience through a board of 3 to 5 people to ensure sustainability.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Technical and financial execution reports
- Annual reports
2.4 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
will result in a change of the rules, practices or policies that govern a policy area, public sector and/or relationship between citizens and is binding or institutionalized across government or specific institution(s).
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The effort to achieve compliance with the commitment and its intended scope, which models a policy area, entails a particular approach that highlights several aspects:
(i) Recognize it as a fundamentally effective “model of social inclusion” that is well appreciated by the community.
(ii) It should be seen as an effort to validate an experience and make it a pilot project that can be replicated in other municipalities and districts of the province.
(iii) Demonstrate its viability and serve as a reference for CONAPE to “validate a model of care” with the government that can be replicated and improved.
(iv) To put into practice the learning from a 40-hour course offered by INFOTEP on personal care management.
(v) Continue diversifying the offer of learning, fun and healthy entertainment services to project beneficiaries.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Technical and financial execution reports
- Annual reports
2.5 Are there any recommended changes to the design of the commitment to help improve its implementation?
In order to fully comply with the commitment, it has been necessary to implement several agreements and work plans that to date and for various reasons have limited the scope of the commitment and its milestones. We highlight:
(i) Lack of basic public services that improve the supply of care for the elderly.
(ii) Training of personnel and commitment to undertake formal training through INFOTEP’s course offerings.
(iii) Increased volume of home care, given the volume of demand received in the municipality.
(iv) Increased number of recreational activities.
3 Commitment :
Road management plan
3.1 Is the commitment verifiable?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The design of the commitment establishes a set of activities that are identifiable, within the framework of the problem of the supply of green areas for recreation and leisure.
The activities contemplated by the commitment include elements such as (i) equip and condition the Juana Núñez linear park and create another park in the Quebrada Honda stream; (ii) identify urban areas for future interventions; (iii) strengthen and reorganize the Ornamental Department of the Mayor’s Office.
The results are measurable in nature, as a proposed solution has been established aimed at:
– “Improving the road and recreational infrastructure and promoting activities that directly involve the population.”
– Enable an area of 17,000 mts2 on the banks of the Quebrada Honda stream as a public space.
– Efforts are made to carry out educational activities for the population near these parks.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- City Council Resolutions
- Annual Reports and Annual Report of the Mayor’s Office
3.2 Does the commitment language/activities clearly justify relevance to OGP values?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
This commitment is aimed at promoting a “decision making process” with the involvement of the communities, both in (i) the decision making of “how to do it” together with the Mayor’s Office and its municipal authorities, and (ii) the decision making of the communities regarding their participation, involvement and promotion.
This decision-making process is aimed primarily at benefiting “healthy lifestyles” that contribute to a better quality of life for the beneficiary population.
In addition, this commitment and its execution should be seen as a “learning with OGP”, as it helps in the achievement of:
– Transforming individual demand into collective demand for the common good and public policy to make it distinct from the participatory budget exercise.
– Providing green areas in urbanizations using the legal regulations in force in urbanization processes.
– Strengthening of the Ornamental Department of the Mayor’s Office.
– Success is related to the values that are promoted such as transparency, participation and responsibility, in accordance with OGP values.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Annual Reports and Annual Report of the Mayor’s Office
3.3 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
a continuation of ongoing practice in line with existing legislation, policies or requirements.
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
This commitment constitutes the continuity of a municipal care policy, which shows deficiencies in its full application as a municipal regulationGovernment reformers are developing regulations that enshrine values of transparency, participation, and accountability in government practices. Technical specifications: Act of creating or reforming ... and therefore needs to reinforce its implementation and application for the benefit of the community and its municipality.
In fact, its implementation is in line to take advantage of the habilitation that had already been carried out in the Mayor’s Office together with the Provincial Technical Office and the Provincial Office for the Development of Women and that requires better efforts to provide the city of Salcedo with sufficient recreation and leisure areas, that is to say, to go ahead and give continuity to the effort already initiated.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Technical and financial execution reports
- Annual reports
- Minutes of meetings
- Financial execution report
3.4 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
will result in a change of the rules, practices or policies that govern a policy area, public sector and/or relationship between citizens and is binding or institutionalized across government or specific institution(s).
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The effort to achieve compliance with the commitment and its intended scope, which models a policy area, entails a particular approach that highlights several aspects:
(i) It should be seen as an effort to improve road and recreational infrastructure, while promoting activities that directly involve the population, while carrying out educational activities for the population residing in the vicinity of these parks.
(ii) Social aggregation activities will be promoted in the conditioned areas to involve the population and promote healthy lifestyles.
(iii) (iii) It is a citizen exercise that we want to make visible and become a replicable model with the involvement of the population itself, which “involves sports and social practice” together and at the same time.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Technical and financial execution reports
3.5 Are there any recommended changes to the design of the commitment to help improve its implementation?
In order to fully comply with the commitment, it has been necessary to implement several agreements and work plans that to date and for various reasons have limited the scope of the commitment and its milestones. We highlight:
(i) It is necessary to strengthen the Urban Planning Department, so that it can fully assume the process and the commitment itself.
(ii) The financial resources required for its fulfillment must be made available.
(iii) The Department of Ornato should continue to receive support from the Mayor’s Office so that it can fulfill its role and complement the work of urban planning in the municipality.
4 Commitment :
Consolidate assistance programs for the elderly with health promotion activities and home accompaniment.
4.1 Is the commitment verifiable?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The design of the commitment establishes a set of activities that are identifiable, within the framework of the problem of the weak relationship between local authorities and the population, which translates into a diminished sense of territorial relevance and social cohesion.
The activities contemplated by the commitment constitute elements such as:
– The establishment of a communication program with the community through the Neighborhood Councils.
– Creation of the Municipal Registry of Non-Profit Organizations provided for in Article 228 of Law 176-07 of the National District and Municipalities.
– Training plan for the population to strengthen the neighborhood councils through courses, workshops and periodic accompaniment.
– Institutional strengthening of the Community Participation Department of the Mayor’s Office.
– The results are of a measurable nature, since a solution proposal has been established aimed at:
– Achieve the consolidation of the 22 Neighborhood Boards identified with the democratic restructuring of their directive instances and their entry in the Municipal Registry.
– Create another 20 organizations in those localities where they no longer exist.
– The restructured Neighborhood Councils will be able to accompany the Municipal Council in the creation of the Community Councils foreseen by the Law, to collaborate with public and private entities in the identification of community problems and their solutions.
– The municipal administration will have valid interlocutors both to act positively in the community and to consolidate the transparency of its actions.
– The municipal administration will have valid interlocutors both to act positively in the community and to consolidate the transparency of its actions.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Resolutions of the Municipal Council
- Annual Reports and Annual Report of the Community Participation Department of the Mayor’s Office.
- Minutes of meetings
4.2 Does the commitment language/activities clearly justify relevance to OGP values?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
This commitment is aimed at promoting transparency in the relationship between the “mayor’s office – society”, in the process of strengthening the citizen information systems of the municipality of Salcedo.
This process of strengthening the Neighborhood Councils will contribute to:
– Increased citizen participationAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, citizen participation occurs when “governments seek to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to m... More in the instruments of control and monitoring, both of the execution of works of the participatory budget and more broadly in the institutional life of the municipality.
– Establishment of informative instruments such as the radio program and a physical and electronic bulletin for the organized groups.
– The already existing institutional instruments will be strengthened through the Citizen Forum implemented in the framework of the Open Government process, first in the co-creation process and in 2023 onwards with the independent monitoring process.
The success is related to the values that are promoted such as “transparency” of a participatory process of the neighborhood councils, “participation” through the promotion of accountability; and “responsibility”, which will be verified through the monitoring of the process by the contracted specialist, always in accordance with OGP values.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- List of Neighborhood Council activities
4.3 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
a continuation of ongoing practice in line with existing legislation, policies or requirements.
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
This commitment constitutes an effort to recover “the continuity of the relationship between local authorities and the population”, which is currently affected by the lack of interlocutors who are truly representative of the community and by the community’s lack of capacity to monitor and make transparent the actions of local authorities”.
In this context, a policy of municipal attention is aimed at “seeking the involvement of all political sectors to ensure the continuity of efforts beyond the period of local government”.
It also seeks the “institutionalization of social and community organizations through the establishment of a municipal registry that will favor their consolidation and permanence over time”, since currently only 22 neighborhood councils are registered, a sign of “the weakness of their possibilities of claims and of the representation of these sectors before the Mayor’s Office”, which in the past was much more robust and representative of the communities and their feelings.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Technical and financial execution reports
- Annual reports
- Minutes of meetings
4.4 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
is a positive change to a process, practice or policy but will not generate a binding or institutionalized change across government or specific institution(s).
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The effort to achieve the fulfillment of the commitment and its expected scope, which represents a positive change in a process, practice or policy, entails a particular approach that highlights several aspects:
– It is expected to achieve the consolidation of the 22 Neighborhood Boards identified with the democratic restructuring of their governing bodies and their entry in the Municipal Registry.
– Create another 20 organizations in those localities where they do not already exist.
– Restructured Neighborhood Councils will be able to (i) accompany the Municipal Council in the creation of the Community Councils foreseen by the Law, (ii) collaborate with public and private entities in the identification of community problems and their solutions.
– The municipal administration will have valid interlocutors both to act positively in the community and to consolidate the transparency of its actions.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Technical and financial execution reports
- Annual reports of the Municipal Council
- Minutes of meetings
4.5 Are there any recommended changes to the design of the commitment to help improve its implementation?
(i) To continue with the work program carried out with the Dominican Federation of Municipalities (FEDOMU), the Dominican Municipal League (LMD) and the Provincial Technical Office.
(ii) Continue with the Training Plan, since it is necessary to work on the empowerment of citizens to claim their needs.
(iii) Update the registry and database of the neighborhood councils.
(iv) Continue with the work of consolidating the 22 neighborhood councils that currently exist.
(v) Continue the effort to depoliticize the neighborhood councils.
(vi) Continue the effort to increase the amount of the budget available for the Participatory Budget.
(vii) To continue working to recover the trust and credibility of the neighborhood councils and their expectations
(viii) Continue working to regain the trust and credibility of the neighborhood councils and their expectations for the fulfillment of the commitments over which they have been empowered.
5 Commitment :
Assistance and promotion plan for neighborhood councils to strengthen them and promote community participation, especially of young people and women.
5.1 Is the commitment verifiable?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The design of the commitment establishes a set of activities that are identifiable within the framework of the problem of (i) disorderly growth of the city and the use of land of high agricultural value for urbanization; (ii) lack of opportunity to provide timely and sustainable viability and sanitation services, especially for green areas in new housing developments; and (iii) new housing projects do not have the necessary facilities for healthy living due to the lack of green areas and the lack of planned access to commercial areas.
The activities contemplated by the commitment include elements such as:
– Institutional strengthening with the restructuring of the Urban Planning Dept.
– Systematization of the current legislation, establishment of the registry and control of urbanizations.
– Citizen education.
– The results are of a measurable nature, since a solution proposal has been established aimed at:
– Having local legislation that spatially orients urban growth.
– To have an orderly set of rules for the evaluation and approval of urban development projects.
– To have the control instruments to ensure the application of the norms.
– Have an updated registry of urbanized areas.
– Ensure the registration of public ownership of the green areas of urban developments.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Resolutions of the Municipal Council
- Mayor’s Office Reports and Memoirs.
5.2 Does the commitment language/activities clearly justify relevance to OGP values?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
This commitment is aimed at promoting solutions to land management, especially to regulate urban planning processes, given the weakness of the Urban Planning Department.
This process of strengthening the Department aims at achieving the values promoted by OGP, in particular:
– Promote “transparency” through access to a database of urbanizations and their green areas, as well as the possibility of urbanizing areas adjacent to the urban center. This will make the real estate market and the criteria for approval of urbanization permits transparent.
– Transparency” in the entire permit collection system, decreasing the possibility of spaces for possible administrative corruption, which will also help in ‘accountability’.
– – Greater “participation”, to the extent that those involved and beneficiaries can access transparent decision-making processes with the technical endorsement of the Urban Planning Department.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- City Council Resolutions
- Annual Reports and Reports of the Mayor’s Office and its Urban Planning Department.
5.3 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
a continuation of ongoing practice in line with existing legislation, policies or requirements.
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
This commitment constitutes an effort in line with the existing legislation and requirements to overcome “some controls and punctual interventions, but at the margin of a broader vision of land use planning, recognizing that there is an interest of the legislative body of the Municipality to regulate urban processes, limited by the same weakness of the institution, particularly the Urban Planning department”.
In this order, it should be recognized that the use of the territory is one of the fundamental themes and manifestations of citizen participation. By making land use transparent and regulating it, the doors are opened to greater citizen participation in local planning processes, the application of taxes and fees, respect for the territory, protection against disasters and resilience to climate change.
Through the process of delimitation of urban and rural spaces and buildable areas, it will be possible to count on a massive participation of the population, through (i) open meetings, (ii) public hearings, (iii) meetings and workshops, and (v) training of architects, engineers and surveyors that we wish to put into practice.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Statistical reports of the Urban Planning Department
- Annual reports
- Minutes of meetings
5.4 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
is a positive change to a process, practice or policy but will not generate a binding or institutionalized change across government or specific institution(s).
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The effort to achieve compliance with the commitment and its expected scope, which represents a positive change in a process, practice or policy, entails a particular approach that highlights several aspects:
– Accessing legislation of a local nature that guides urban growth and provides citizens with a mechanism for registration and control of urban developments, which makes it possible to have standards for the evaluation and approval of urban development projects.
– To have control instruments for the application of the established norms and an updated registry of urbanized areas.
– Ensure the registration of public ownership of the green areas of the urbanizations.
Provide evidence for your answer:
- Annual reports of the Municipal Council
- Minutes of meetings
- Minutes of approved urbanizations and their green areas.
5.5 Are there any recommended changes to the design of the commitment to help improve its implementation?
In order to fully comply with the commitment, it has been necessary to implement several agreements and work plans that to date and for various reasons have limited the scope of the commitment and its milestones. We highlight:
– Provision of the flow of resources necessary for compliance with the activities of regulation and supervision of established regulations and laws.
– Promote the specialized training of architects, engineers and surveyors to be implemented.
– Continue with the implementation of the restructuring activities of the Urban Planning Department.
– To be able to have an updated registry of urbanized areas.
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