Action plan – San Jeronimo, Guatemala, 2025 – 2027

At-a-Glance

Duration

Jan 2028

Date Submitted

7th March 2025

Foreword(s)

This Municipal Action Plan for San Jerónimo, Baja Verapaz, aims to improve trust and governance through active citizen participation, where civil society and authorities jointly co-create commitments that seek to improve the quality of life of the communities in the municipality. 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, citizen participation and collaboration between government and civil society are fundamental pillars for the democratic strengthening and sustainable development of our communities. In a context where trust in public institutions is a key factor for effective governance, the implementation of an Open Government Plan in the Municipality of San Jerónimo, Baja Verapaz, represents a solid 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... to accountability and efficiency in public management. This document seeks to establish the basis for a more inclusive municipal administration, where citizens not only have access to public information but also actively participate in decision-making and the oversight of resources. Through a collaborative strategy between local government and civil society, the aim is to foster innovative mechanisms for dialogue, promote the digitalization of information, and strengthen the culture of transparency at all levels of municipal administration. Citizen participation will be the central axis of this plan, allowing the inhabitants of San Jerónimo to become key actors in the implementation of this plan. Through the co-creation of these commitments, we seek to consolidate a governance model in which citizens and the municipality work together to achieve more efficient and equitable management.

Open Government Challenges, Opportunities and Strategic Vision

What is the long-term vision for open government in your context and jurisdiction?

The Municipality of San Jerónimo, Baja Verapaz, is projected as a transparent, participatory, and inclusive local government, where civil society and municipal administration work together to strengthen local democracy, efficient resource management, and sustainable development of the municipality. We will consolidate an Open Government model that guarantees access to public information, encourages accountability, and promotes spaces for citizen participation in decision-making, ensuring that municipal policies and actions respond effectively to the needs and priorities of the population. Through the update of the Municipal Public Policy on Open Government, we will lay the normative and operational foundations for more transparent and accessible management. With the implementation of the Local Economic Development Plan, we will promote initiatives that strengthen the municipality’s economy, promoting investment, entrepreneurship, and the well-being of the population. Likewise, the implementation of the Participatory Budget will allow citizens to have an active voice in the allocation and use of municipal resources, guaranteeing responsible and equitable management of public funds. This joint effort between the municipality and civil society will allow for the construction of a more prosperous and equitable San Jerónimo with modern governance based on the principles of transparency, participation, and collaboration.

What are the achievements in open government to date (for example, recent open government reforms)?

Among the Open Government achievements to date is the Municipal Open Government policy that was created and implemented in 2019 and is valid until 2025, hence the need to update it as part of the commitments of this plan. This Policy has managed to create and improve the basic conditions to strengthen the efficient functioning of the Municipal Public Information Access Unit -UIPM- to inform the population about municipal management and will strengthen citizen participation and social auditing in municipal management, making use of the information that the municipality makes available to the population. The most important part of the policy has been to establish the mechanisms and general guidelines to make the municipality of San Jerónimo, Baja Verapaz, an open municipality with participatory and transparent management. This year 2025 the Municipality of San Jerónimo has had Second Place at the national level in Compliance with the Law on Access to Public Information. The Human RightsAn essential part of open government includes protecting the sacred freedoms and rights of all citizens, including the most vulnerable groups, and holding those who violate human rights accountable. T... Ombudsman, based on compliance with the publication of the Access to Information Law, obtained Second Place with 𝟗𝟖.𝟒𝟖 𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐬 at the National level, in good municipal practices in compliance with the publication of public information ex officio following the Law on Access to Public Information according to the Compliance Ranking 2024, Decree 57-2008.

What are the current challenges/areas for improvement in open government that the jurisdiction wishes to tackle?

Among the challenges that we see as Municipalities and Civil Society is breaking the possible resistance to change and lack of open government culture because they are new concepts within traditional governance. The adoption of principles of transparency and citizen participation can face resistance within the municipal administration and in certain sectors of the population, so it is necessary to generate trust and commitment in officials and citizens to strengthen the culture of accountability. The lack of citizen involvement is also a challenge since decision-making and oversight processes can be limited by disinterest or misinformation, so it will be necessary to strengthen awareness and dissemination strategies to motivate citizen participation. Another challenge is the limitations in resources and technical capacities since the municipality can face budgetary restrictions and a lack of trained personnel to implement and monitor open government policies, so constant training and access to technological tools are needed to improve public management. The effective implementation of the Participatory Budget will require clear mechanisms, inclusive methodologies, and monitoring processes to guarantee its effectiveness and legitimacy.

What are the medium-term open government goals that the government wants to achieve?

Within the goals of Strengthening the regulations and operation of Open Government, the aim will be to implement the update of the Municipal Public Policy on Open Government and ensure its compliance with measurable indicators of transparency and participation. Create an Open Government office or unit within the municipality to follow up on actions and commitments. Generate training and awareness in transparency and participation, through training programs for municipal officials on open government, accountability, and participatory management, as well as develop awareness campaigns so that citizens know their rights and participation tools for Open Government. Implement citizen consultation mechanisms on the municipality’s portal to improve interaction between citizens and authorities, facilitating oversight and access to 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..., which will contribute to consolidating the participatory budget methodology and guarantee the execution of projects chosen by citizens, and compliance with the 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... on cost indicators. Finally, promote strategic alliances with the private sectorGovernments are working to open private sector practices as well — including through beneficial ownership transparency, open contracting, and regulating environmental standards. Technical specificat... More, cooperatives, and cooperation agencies to strengthen investment and job creation in the municipality for the development of sustainable productive projects and programs to support local entrepreneurship.

How does this action plan contribute to achieve the Open Government Strategic Vision?

This Action Plan translates the Strategic Vision into concrete actions, ensuring that the Municipality of San Jerónimo consolidates itself as a more transparent, inclusive, and efficient government. By integrating participatory management, accountability, and economic development, the foundations are laid for a governance model that truly responds to the needs of the community.

How does the open government strategic vision contribute to the accomplishment of the current administration’s overall policy goals?

The Strategic Vision of Open Government is a fundamental pillar for the success of the general objectives of the current municipal administration, as it improves efficiency, encourages participation, promotes economic development, and strengthens trust in local government. Through this approach, San Jerónimo, Baja Verapaz, is moving towards a more transparent, inclusive public management oriented towards the well-being of its population.

Engagement and Coordination in the Open Government Strategic Vision and OGP Action Plan

Please list the lead institutions responsible for the implementation of this OGP action plan.

• Municipalidad de San Jerónimo
• Consejo de desarrollo comunitario de San Jerónimo-COMUDE

What kind of institutional arrangements are in place to coordinate between government agencies and departments to implement the OGP action plan?

So far, meetings have been held with different institutions and agreements have been made to support the different commitments of the plan.

What kind of spaces have you used or created to enable the collaboration between government and civil society in the co-creation and implementation of this action plan? Mention both offline and online spaces.

• Individual face-to-face meetings with the different institutions
• Face-to-face and virtual meetings with the different institutions and civil society organizations
• Face-to-face presentations with the Municipal and Community Development Council

What measures did you take to ensure diversity of representation (including vulnerable or marginalized populations) in these spaces?

All potential stakeholders have been taken into account; one of the best forms of representation is the participation of the community and municipal development council, which is made up of citizens from the different communities in the municipality and government institutions that have local presence and jurisdiction.

Who participated in these spaces?

• Mayor of San Jeronimo
• Consejo de desarrollo Municipal – COMUDE
• Fundación Prosperiti
• Consejo Municipal
• Deputy to Congress Baja Verapaz

How many groups participated in these spaces?

25

How many public-facing meetings were held in 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...?

8

How will government and non-governmental stakeholders continue to collaborate through the implementation of the action plan?

In-person and virtual meetings will be called to follow up on compliance with the plan. The Comude of the municipality will be socialized and taken into account, which is made up of all the actors interested in giving continuity to the strategic vision of the municipality in addition to being an organ for the accountability of the municipality.

Please describe the independent Monitoring Body you have identified for this plan.

For MRI we have looked for a person with knowledge of Open Government and experience in monitoring international plans and programs.

Provide the contact details for the independent monitoring body.

• María Nicte Leal

What types of activities will you have in place to discuss progress on commitments with stakeholders?

Roundtables for Dialogue and Citizen Consultation. Public forums from the COMUDE Publication of Reports Evaluation Workshops

How will you regularly check in on progress with implementing agencies?

Through a dashboard Publication of monitoring reports

How will you share the results of your monitoring efforts with the public?

Through the Municipality Portal Through COMUDE meetings

Endorsement from Non-Governmental Stakeholders

• Rafael Poitevin, CEO, Fundacion Prosperiti Guatecivica