It is sought that the strategic projects in the regions continue with the new administrations.
With the purpose of the transition and connection processes that the country’s mayors and governors must carry out with the new territorial leaders that will be elected by Colombians next October, the National Planning Department (DNP) presented the “Guide with guidelines for the transition of territorial governments”.
The official launch was made in Ibagué by the technical director of the Regional Strategy for National Planning, Hugo Guerra, in the company of other officials.
“We are no longer talking about government closures, since the development commitments in the regions must be continuous, prioritizing the well-being of citizens. Therein lies the success of the transition processes so that the strategic projects are not left halfway and are even accepted by the new administration and included in the development plan of the municipality”, explained the official.
He added that previously, 40% of the government programs presented by those who were elected did not correspond to the territory they were going to administer, which he described as a great failure, because it makes it difficult to prepare a territorial development plan. For this reason, this year the inputs given by the outgoing administrations in the transition and connection process are essential.
Guerra asked that “this work must begin to be carried out from the beginning of the second semester of this year, the guide that we present today will be of great help to mayors and governors, so that the information can be organized, systematized and compiled, to have an excellent transition with the president who will be elected by the citizens in October of this year”.
In fact, the official advised outgoing mayors and governors to share the knowledge acquired with the new president; guarantee that the transition of government happens in a transparent and efficient manner regarding the provision of goods and services to the citizenry and the proper functioning of the territorial government; and involve both the governing council and the technical team and citizens, so that they develop the process with the greatest commitment and take care of the legacy that is left.
He clarified that the purpose of National Planning is to become an indispensable and strategic ally of local governments, respecting the autonomy and knowledge of the territorial entities, therefore, the structure of the guide seeks to guide the process of transition and construction of the new territorial development plans are efficient.
The guide is part of the National Government’s strategy, “Together for the Territory”, to inform current candidates, mayors and governors, as well as the general public, the main elements to take into account in the preparation of the new government programs, an efficient transition of local mandates and the effective fulfillment of the National Development Plan in the regions.
How to make an effective government transition?
Guerra explained that the territorial government transition process consists of a management report and balance of results, which shows the main achievements, efforts and challenges identified by the outgoing administration in its four-year term.
A second commitment must be to carry out accountability with social dialogue, an exercise that presents the main achievements, efforts and challenges identified by the administration, and interacts with citizens as feedback.
And finally, the connection with knowledge management: a process where spaces are developed in which incoming and outgoing administrations meet to exchange relevant information.
Citizenship and government transition
The official clarified to the mayors that citizen participation is a space for dialogue and social feedback to public management.
In an integral way, the contribution of citizen participation to the transition process of territorial governments contributes to the continuity of development commitments by appropriating them and mobilizing them so that they are incorporated into planning and development instruments such as the new PDT.