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BUILDING CAPACITY IN THE MOST ISOLATED COLOMBIAN COMMUNITIES

KEY RESULTS KEY RESULTS

colombians directly benefited from cimientos funded projects

124,026
50%

USAIDs Regional Governance Consolidation Program in Colombia, known as CIMIENTOS, helped build local capacity in public administration, health and education, working in 21 municipalities that had been conflict zones during the civil war. The MSI-implemented project ensured that women played a key role in local planning and rebuilding efforts and was based on a local partnership model that cultivated community buy-in. MSI experts helped mobilize and strengthen local grassroots social organizations and regional- and national-level organizations to instill best practices in isolated and underdeveloped territories. The projects funded 129 projects to improve infrastructure in education and health, bringing together government officials and community members. A total of 124,026 Colombians directly benefited from these projects, of which 50% were women, 11% afro-Colombians, 6% internally displaced persons and 3% indigenous. Our approach to building local capacity was based upon working with local partners and responding to emerging needs. It generated trust among participating communities and local authorities, dispelling fears of reprisals for working with a foreign aid program. CIMIENTOSs operational approach made it possible to work where no previous Government of Colombia agency had

of cimientos project beneficiaries are women

cimientos trained students and

to improve scores and teaching . as a result , on the national average .

9,981 1,041 teachers

2010

average scores in montes de maria in almost all subjects were above the

national test ,

cimientos funded

to improve infrastructure in education and health, bringing together government officials and community members

129

projects

established a presence in rural villages, such as El Tarra, La Vega de San Antonio, La Gabarra, San Juancito, San Pablo, San Jos del Tarra, and Culebritas.

OUR OURREACH REACH

INCREASING MUNICIPAL RANKINGS AND INCOME REVENUE

MSI experts training and technical assistance resulted in 18 local governments increasing their score on the Municipal Performance Index and Ranking, an annual evaluation by the Government of Colombia. The index measures progress made in health and education, the quantity of resources invested, the state of municipal finances and other factors. Read about a municipals index success to the left. When the project started, local governments relied on national resources or royalties for 80 percent of their budget. The majority of municipalities did not even collect local revenues. The project helped update municipal revenue codes and establish tax and revenue collection procedures, resulting in 21 municipalities increasing their own sources of income. The average increase of sources of income since CIMIENTOS was 20 percent in Bajo and Medio Atrato region, 55 percent in Catatumbo,16 percent in Sierra Nevada, and 60 percent in Montes de Mara. Municipal revenues increased dramatically in Acand (47%), Hacar (91%), La Playa (134%), Ocaa (74%), San Onofre (100%) and San Juan del Cesar (65%).

respond to citizen security needs. More than 25 mayors were empowered as the lead authorities delegated with municipal policing functions working in coordination with the police and the armed forces. CIMIENTOS and Corporacin Infancia y Desarrollo organization helped design a methodology for improving institutional response and management of intrafamily violence in Catatumbo and Montes de Maria. The Ministry of Interior and Justice of Colombia adopted this method for strengthening the Family Commissions and the ministrys nationwide work to prevent and manage domestic violence. With our support, the National Registrar provided identity cards to 19,314 people in Catatumbo and Bajo and Medio Atrato, making them official citizens with access to social services such as health, education and housing.

THE CASE OF SAN CALIXTO When CIMIENTOS started in 2007, the municipality of San Calixto was considered a presence of illegal armed groups that had banned community meetings and threatened the lives of local authorities. San Calixtos Municipal Performance Index ranking went from 1,098, making it the lowest-ranked municipality in the whole country, to 404th, the highest jump in this period. CIMIENTOS built local capacity in San Calixto, providing social audits to ambulance service and general medical services, assisting family commissions and establishing youth municipal councils.

IMPROVING HEALTH AND EDUCATION

More than 4,500 people were trained in the management and monitoring of healthcare delivery, and 9,374 people in isolated rural areas received medical attention through USAID-funded health brigades. In the 21 municipalities, MSI staff trained 9,981 students and 1,041 teachers to improve scores and teaching on national standardized tests As a result, on the 2010 national test, average scores in Montes de Maria in almost all subjects were above the national average. In Choc, the two schools in Carmen de Atrato achieved the highest scores of the whole department.

ENHANCING SECURITY OF CITIZENS THROUGH TRAINING AND PLANNING

In 29 municipalities, municipal security councils and national police, the Army, the Navy, Family Commissions, and other local institutions were trained on the programs planning method, acquiring tools to plan, manage and