Catalogue of Local Inclusive Public Policies

Public policies
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Legislative Volunteering Program of Godoy Cruz

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Godoy Cruz - Argentina

Region
Latin America and the Caribbean
Range of Demographic Size
100,000 to 499,999 inhabitants (large intermediate)

16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.

16.7 Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.

A - Full integration of population dynamics into sustainable development with equality and respect for human rights.

American Convention on Human Rights

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

Others

Summary

The “Legislative Volunteering” program of the city of Godoy Cruz encompasses the participatory development of legislative initiatives contributing to solve public issues in the best interest of citizens. It consists of a series of learning opportunities aimed at anyone over the age of 16, with no prior knowledge being required. Participants play a key role in a social innovation process that has 4 stages (context immersion, problem definition, ideation, and prototyping and testing) which are based on the open government guidelines established by the National Ministry of Modernization.

In this way, a new inclusive space for civic education is created within the framework of the City Council of Godoy Cruz, Province of Mendoza, Argentina.

Implementation Date:

Start: 05 / 2 / 2016

End: End: Currently in force

Education - Education in Human Rights Interculturalism and non-discrimination - Inclusion and building of intercultural societies
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The design of the public policy was based on two situations derived from local citizens’ insights. On one hand, the feeling of a lack of permeability in local legislative bodies. On the other, the feeling of not having inclusive opportunities that allow them to directly participate in the priority setting and drafting of legal and statutory documents which, after all, will be the regulatory framework of the community in which they live and develop their activities.
The “Legislative Volunteering” program poses an educational opportunity aimed at locals to aid in solving shared issues. The objectives of this initiative are: • to promote citizens’ participation in making and managing public policies; • to improve the local channels for dialogue between citizens and the national, provincial and municipal government agents (from both the executive and legislative branches); • to facilitate citizens’ use of public information from an open government approach; and • to offer tools to analyze, diagnose and design bills in a participatory manner addressing the social needs identified.
Honorable City Council of Godoy Cruz.
Legislature of the Province of Mendoza.
The regulatory framework that supports the Legislative Volunteering program is the one established by National Law of Social Volunteering No. 25,855/2004 and, at the local level, Municipal Ordinance No. 6576/2016 governing the "Comprehensive System of Citizen Participation” and Municipal Ordinance No. 6591/2016 governing the "Legislative Volunteering Program.” Local Government Strategic Plan 2016-2024, Pillar 4: “A Transparent Godoy Cruz.”
Society in general
Institutional strengthening
Developing of regulations
Volunteers do not need to have specific prior studies; they just have to be over 16 years old. The different activities in this experience comprise a 30-hour training agenda during which the volunteer receives ongoing support from the Citizens’ Civic Development Foundation’s technical team, legislators, and other subject-matter experts. The theoretical and practical inputs needed to create public policies are made available to volunteers through collaborative workshops. Other public spaces were also set up to identify social needs and public issues, as well as to study and create action policies (ordinance/law). After presenting their projects, participants carry out different outreach activities to communicate their initiatives.
The Legislative Volunteering program encourages creativity in the design of new pubic solutions and includes individual or collective local agents who, until now, have not been part of the public decision-making process. Citizens actively exercise their civic rights through direct dialogue with political leaders and technical operators, using pedagogical tools based on popular education. The initiative is innovative in that, through it, the Honorable City Council of Godoy Cruz becomes a pioneer legislative space at the national level by making its constitutional mandate more permeable and inclusive for the citizens of the municipality.
Citizens’ Civic Development Foundation (NGO).
It includes citizen participation in each of the program stages by providing citizens with the necessary tools to develop an appropriate legislative answer based on needs identified in their everyday life.
It was implemented as a municipal program in 2016 by a municipal ordinance, providing it with institutional support and continuity as a public policy.
Local goverment
Other
To date, the Legislative Volunteering program has resulted in more than eighty projects and two legislative digests, with the active engagement of over 400 volunteers who have played a key role in this model public policy making process.
The information is disseminated through social networks, institutional media of the Municipality of Godoy Cruz, and through participation in events like “MENDOZA VOLUNTARIA,” among others.
International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (IOPD): the initiative is a finalist in the global contest within the "Good Practice in Citizen Participation” category.
Legislative Volunteer Website:
Honorable Deliberative Council of Godoy Cruz (Mendoza, Argentina):
Legislative Volunteer Book (2019):
Virtual Volunteer Book (2016):
Ley 25855/2004

Instrumentos

16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.

16.7 Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.

A - Full integration of population dynamics into sustainable development with equality and respect for human rights.
American Convention on Human Rights
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
Others

Location

Region
Latin America and the Caribbean
Range of Demographic Size
100,000 to 499,999 inhabitants (large intermediate)

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/* Educacion = 2 Empleo = 14 Género y diversidad sexual = 8 Interculturalidad y no discriminación = 21 Medio ambiente = 18 Movilidad Humana = 7 patrimonio e identidad cultural = 88 Salud = 25 Seguridad = 31 Vivienda = 30 */