End of Commitment Report – Institutional interoperability through the legal card

Name of Evaluator

Carlos de la Peña Jiménez O’Farril, Daniel Rosemberg Cervantes Pérez, Jesus Ponce Rubio

Email

carlos.delapena.j@gmail.com, drosemberg@gmail.com, jponce9911@gmail.com

Member Name

Mexico State, Mexico

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 – Mexico State, Mexico, 2021 – 2022

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...

Institutional interoperability through the legal card

Action

Each agency at the state and municipal levels will be able to share information related to data and official documents to streamline the procedures and services of users, thus reducing costs and travel times, eliminating bureaucracy, and giving citizens real access to justiceAccessible justice systems – both formal and informal – ensure that individuals and communities with legal needs know where to go for help, obtain the help they need, and move through a system tha... More. Create a single electronic file for the citizens of EDOMEX, which will contain a database of documents derived from procedures and services carried out by citizens, and which will be used to manage other procedures before different authorities. Take advantage of the use of technology and interconnection between institutions for the processing of state services, based on the collaboration of public and private institutions.

Problem

Long processes and excessive bureaucracy in the resolution of conflicts, remoteness of institutions, as well as the high costs of the procedures and the excessive requirements requested by the institutions, make access to justiceTo address barriers that prevent citizens from having their justice needs met, OGP participating governments are working to expand transparency, accountability, and inclusion into all systems of justi... and legal security impossible.

1.1 What was the overall level of progress in the commitment implementation at the time of this assessment?

complete

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

On March 10, 2022, the Law of Digital Government and the Law of Regulatory Improvement, both for the State of Mexico, were amended, among others, in order to regulate and implement the Legal Card as an identification document for individuals that allows them to access the File for Procedures and Services (Citizen Folder) and also allows them to consult personal documents that derive from state procedures and services. Subsequently, on March 9, 2023, the Citizen Folder technological platform was launched, which integrates 7 documents: Birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce certificate, CURP, digital driver’s license, report of no criminal record, certificate of no delinquent food debtor, which can be consulted and downloaded in the management of procedures and services before state agencies.

1.2 Describe the main external or internal factors that impacted implementation of this commitment and how they were addressed (or not).

The Ministry of Justice and 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..., as the institution responsible for the implementation of the commitment in coordination with various state agencies, was able to make the material and technological resources available to fulfill the commitment. In terms of external factors, it was perceived that the tools were well received by the citizens, since they provide access to official documentation for consultation, downloading, and use in the management of various procedures and services before state and municipal authorities.
It should be noted that in the case of birth certificates, they will be valid every time the citizen consults them through his/her Citizen Folder. Likewise, when the other documents are about to expire, the platform will send a notification prior to their expiration so that the citizen can renew them in due time and form.

1.3 Was the commitment implemented as originally planned?

All of the commitment milestones were implemented as planned

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

As stated in the commitment, the use of the legal card was consolidated and institutionalized, which allows interoperability among agencies and makes it possible to share information related to official documents to streamline procedures and services, thus reducing costs and travel times.

Provide evidence for your answer:

• Legislative act
• Legal Card
• Citizen Folder
• Tweet
• Tweet 

2.1.1. – Did the government disclose more information; improve the quality of the information (new or existing); improve the value of the information; improve the channels to disclose or request information or improve accessibility to information?

Yes

Degree of result:

Major

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

Its impact is reflected in the participation of various government agencies to join in the use and implementation of the legal card and the file for procedures and services (Citizen Folder), and by the interest shown by citizens in obtaining it and thus integrating official documents in their electronic file, without having to waste time searching for them or having to process them in a regular way to carry out a different procedure.

2.1.2. – Did the government create new opportunities to seek feedback from citizens/enable participation inform or influence decisions; improve existing channels or spaces to seek feedback from citizens/enable participation/ inform or influence decisions; create or improve capabilities in the government or the public aimed to improve how the government seeks feedback from citizens/enables participation/ or allows for the public to inform or influence decisions?

Yes

Degree of result:

Major

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

Given that the legal card is a document issued in the Caravans for Everyday Justice program and is linked to the citizen’s folder platform, its use, and benefits are constantly disseminated during the program’s days.

2.1.3 Did the government create or improve channels, opportunities or capabilities to hold officials answerable to their actions?

Yes

Degree of result:

Major

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

Yes, since the public servants were trained in the use and implementation of the legal card and the file for procedures and services, in the provision of various procedures.

2.2 Did the commitment address the public policy problem that it intended to address as described in the action plan?

Yes

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

The objective of strengthening and institutionalizing the legal card and the file for procedures and services, which allow for the interoperability of the agencies, streamlining procedures and services, as well as reducing time, costs, and requirements, was achieved.

3. Provide at least one lesson or reflection relating to the implementation of this commitment. It can be the identification of key barriers to implementation, an unexpected help/hindrance, recommendations for future commitments, or if the commitment should be taken forward to the next action plan.

The implementation of the legal card and the file for procedures and services (Citizen Folder) lay the foundation for a more effective, efficient, and innovative government that provides citizens with simple, digital, and lower-cost procedures and services through technology.
However, there is still a long way to go since it is noted that as of the date of this evaluation, only 7 documents of the universe of requirements of the procedures and services offered by the state government have been integrated.
Finally, it is recommended that the legal card not only be issued in the Caravans for Everyday Justice, but also that be issued in the offices of the Secretary of Justice and Human Rights so that it may have greater diffusion, use, and impact on the population of Mexico.