Metropolitan Development Program of Guatemala City - PRODEME

Action Implemented

The project aims to improve the capacity to provide services of the Municipality of Guatemala through institutional strengthening and technological modernization in order to influence the quality of life of the entire population of the city. Within the framework of these axes, the implementation of the following activities is proposed: - Urban mobility - Environment and solid waste disposal - Institutional strengthening - Territorial organization UNDP supports the Municipality of Guatemala with: - technical assistance through national and international consultants, - knowledge transfer through training and promotion of exchange of experiences, - use of tools that facilitate the processes of monitoring and control of activities, - identification of alternative technologies in the different specialties, - acquisition of goods and services, and - Administrative-financial training related to procedures for the acquisition and contracting of goods and services.

Outcomes and Expected Impact

- Improved service conditions of the transportation system of the Guatemala Metropolitan Area in order to influence the balance between the need for mobility of the city's population and the supply of transportation and roads. - Identified and implemented solid waste management alternatives that consider ensuring the proper functioning of the municipal landfill in order to avoid negative impacts on the urban environment and promote the improvement of conditions in the quality of life of the population. - Improved municipal organizational, operational and administrative quality to respond to the needs of the population in correspondence with their powers. - Public private participation involved in the investment of municipal development projects.

Sustainability and Scalability

The strategy of Guatemala City regarding management of urban infrastructure is based on responding to its citizens' needs, as included in the "Future Vision Plan" mechanism for territorial planning. The Municipality responds to the demands of its 22 districts in terms of infrastructure repair and improvement. The District Mayors are in charge of channeling the demands of the administrative districts to the Municipality. In order to increase productivity, an effort has been made to introduce homogeneous procedures to maintain municipal assets. The use of the same type of material, for example, simplifies maintenance by making interventions more sustainable.

Innovative and Cultural Aspects

Youth is a priority for the Municipality of Guatemala, in particular the need to improve school facilities, which have been deteriorating for years. Thanks to an agreement between the Municipality and the Ministry of Education, it has been possible for the city to receive extrabudgetary resources to be able to repair many schools. Interventions have varied from changing roofs, removing asbestos cement, improved insulation of structures to combat excessive heat, new LED lighting, etc. Another priority has been to transform open sports areas into multi-purpose covered spaces, capable of hosting community meetings (multi-purpose lounges) while offering young people cooler areas for sports.

Lessons Learned

The main challenge of the project will be to contribute to the strengthening and modernization of the Municipality of Guatemala, which will require support in various areas, but particularly in the promotion of citizen participation, decentralization and tax aspects. In addition, the project considers: o The articulation support subsystems within the Municipality of Guatemala and other government entities, based on the group of officials and citizens representing the different sectors, who act in a coordinated and concerted manner in order to maximize the use of resources (human, financial, technical) and the impact of the actions necessary to comply with the Municipal Government Plan; o Support for the articulation of a coherent framework of resource requirements for the fulfillment of each of the initiatives derived from the project, as well as the possibilities of distribution of efforts, responsibilities and commitments at an internal and external level, and the model of management of the same; o Support for the generation of elements that allow maintaining a permanent dialogue with the international community to report on the progress and needs for the fulfillment of the goals established by the current municipal administration; o Reform and strengthening of the institutional framework of the Municipality of Guatemala within the framework of modernization of the State and decentralization. o Reform and strengthen the institutional framework of the Municipality of Guatemala within the framework of modernization of the State and decentralization.

Social Inclusion

Funding for improved school infrastructure is available thanks to the Development Councils (COMUDEs), which were traditionally reserved for rural areas of Guatemala, but have been allowed to work on the country's capital, especially on priorities related to education, health, sanitation and drinking water. COMUDEs' functions are to promote, facilitate and support the Community Councils for municipal development; to enhance effective participation of the community and its organizations; support public administration decentralization and coordinate the different municipal institutions. They also promote policies to protect childhood, teenagers, youth and women, on top of being the entity in charge of monitoring and evaluation.