BOLIVIA
SECTOR: Planning and Reform
PROJECT NAME: National Governance Program
(976/SF-BO)
TOTAL COST: $14.8 million
FINANCING:
IDB $12.0 million
LOCAL $ 2.8 million
DATE OF APPROVAL:May 29, 1996
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
The general objective is to establish an
institutional, regulatory and political climate that
is conducive to the country's economic and social
development by strengthening its democratic
institutions in the areas of the legislature, the
electoral system and decentralization.
The specific objectives are to: (a) support modernization of the
legislature and improve its ability to make initiatives and its
supervisory capacity; (b) consolidate the institutions and legitimacy of
the political system by strengthening the National Electoral Office; and
(c) support the process of decentralization by strengthening the
departmental administrations and the National Civic Participation
Department.
These objectives will be attained by: (a) amending the rules for
congressional debate, strengthening legislative committees, providing
Congress with its own sources of information and analysis, and
strengthening Congress's administrative apparatus; (b) expanding the
coverage and reliability of the civil registry system and supporting the
reform of the electoral system (with a subprogram to strengthen the
political system); and (c) technical assistance and training for the
departmental administrations and the National Civic Participation
Department in the key areas of decentralized public administration (with
a subprogram to support decentralization).
CONSULTANTS: Consultants services including 118 local and eight
international individual consultants, two consulting firms, one training
agency and nine specialized service firms will be hired for the
following activities: (a) review and approve a new regulatory framework
for the legislative, supervisory and representative functions of
Congress (local and international specialists in constitutional and
parliamentary law will be required); (b) strengthen the advisory
mechanisms and legislative committees for parliamentary work (12
consultant-advisors to analyze draft legislation and carry out studies);
(c) unify and modernize the library and archives; (d) design and install
computer networks to manage legal, congressional, legislative, and
library information systems; (e) design and introduce a reform in the
administrative and financial apparatus of Congress; (f) help regulate,
reorganize and modernize the Civil Register and widen its coverage;
(g) draw the boundaries of single-member electoral districts;
(h) provide institutional strengthening to modernize the executing
agency and promote teamwork and horizontal communications, establish a
system to formulate and track work plans in the areas of electoral
administration and management of the Civil Register, develop internal
planning, administrative, information systems and auditing capacities,
and computerize internal communications; (i) carry out studies and
surveys on democratic values and practices in society, prepare a
publicity campaign, and design and produce education materials;
(j) train departmental administration staff and provide technical
support for departmental administration offices; and (k) train National
Civic Participation Department (NCPD) staff in strategic planning,
contribute to applied research on decentralization (7 ethnogeographic
studies), and help the NCPD develop the capacity to assist new
departmental administrations.
GOODS & EQUIPMENT: Computer equipment, library materials, books,
monographs, periodicals, reference works, data bases,
information systems, software, faxes, printers, office
equipment, furniture, supplies and publicity materials
will be purchased.
EXECUTING AGENCY:Vicepresidencia de la República
Calle Ayacucho
Esquina Mercado #308
Tel: (591-2) 370-100
Fax: (591-2) 359-757
Contact: Henry Oporto
