WASHINGTON, CMC – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) says that although Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have made progress in several areas of public governance, some key capabilities still need to be improved to drive prosperity and achieve sustainable and inclusive goals.
The IDB said that progress had been made in establishing participatory mechanisms, public integrity regulations, and gender gaps in the public sector.
But the latest publication, titled” Government at a Glance: Latin America and the Caribbean 2024,” produced in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), provides reliable and comparable indicators and statistics on governance and public management for as many as 27 countries in the region. It compares the region’s results with those of OECD countries.
According to the publication, 15 countries in the region have open government strategies to enhance women’s participation in public decision-making.
It shows that the share of women in senior management positions in government in 2022 is slightly higher in Latin America and the Caribbean (43 percent) than in OECD-EU countries (41 percent).
Moreover, the report noted that most of the 13 surveyed countries for this topic in the region practice gender budgeting (77 percent), which aims to address gender disparities in public policy and resource allocation, compared to 61 percent of OECD countries.
However, progress in closing gender gaps in political representation is slow.
Public procurement can promote social objectives, sustainability, and environmental responsibility.
In 2022, an estimated 16 of the 19 surveyed countries for this topic in the region (or 84 percent) have central e-procurement systems and reported having policies or strategies in this area to pursue social objectives.
Out of the 19 surveyed countries, 14 (or 74 percent) have a central government strategy to promote the participation of small and medium enterprises in public procurement.
The report shows there is space to deploy more ambitious public governance tools and strategies to advance the green transition in the region. According to the data, only five countries among the 12 surveyed for this specific topic use green budgeting to integrate climate and environmental considerations into taxes and public spending decisions, representing 42 percent compared to 67 percent of OECD countries.
For instance, out of the 19 surveyed countries, only nine have a strategy for green public procurement (47 percent), and only four countries align their long-term infrastructure plans with environmental or climate action plans, representing 27 percent compared to 73 percent of OECD countries.
“This publication addresses the growing demand for quantitative and qualitative evidence on governance and the performance of public policies. We hope this study will promote transparency, public dialogue, and effectiveness in the public sector.
“At the IDB, we are committed to these values and will continue to support the countries in the region in all these areas,” said Ana María Ibáñez, Vice President for Sectors and Knowledge at the IDB.
“Governance at a Glance: Latin America and the Caribbean” is published every three years and contains the region’s most comprehensive data and indicators on public governance.
The IDB said that this year’s edition’s indicators cover 11 areas organized around three broad categories, namely public governance outcomes, achieving results with good governance practices, and the resources public institutions use and how they are managed.
The publication also includes a chapter that focuses on strengthening participation, public management, and integrity to build trust and support the green transition in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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