Download World Bank Document

of rural stakeholders’ participation through three key factors: rural integration, shortened
distances and increased mobility alternatives.
Participation in Elections. In all of the departments where the project was implemented,
participation in elections was increased by up to a 10%, (increase in Peru as a whole was
4%). This effect is even more noticeable at the provincial with participation in the project
areas being above the provincial average, and in 3 cases, notably above. Noteworthy is
the increase in female participation, which reached a pick of 13 percent in one
department, and exceeded the increase in men’s participation in all project areas.
Accountability of elected officials. Increased revocatoria22 processes were observed in the
poorest departments where the project was implemented. One could have expected that
the project would have softened local conflicts and then, prompted a reduction in these
processes by legitimizing local authorities and reducing conflicts. On the other hand, the
“revocatoria” is a sign of participation that reveals interest in public matters and shows
greater accountability of elected officials. Through “revocatoria”, rural stakeholders feel
empowered and have an opportunity to voice up their dissatisfaction.
New local leaderships. Management experience gained through project implementation
was transferred to other areas of public management. In the 6 department surveyed, 82
cases showed that MEMV members gained public management positions. In one case, a
PRI manager became president of the regional government.
Quechua sessions. To engage indigenous peoples, remote rural communities and women
in representative participatory processes, some mayors delivered sessions in both Spanish
and Quechua. Participatory budgets were sometimes disseminated in quechua, and
several local governments realized that training sessions and trainers needed to be able to
talk in quechua to guarantee monolingual inhabitants participation.
Impact on rural institutions. The project introduced a collaborative environment which
provided incentives to mayors in order to seek for greater synergies. In a number of
cases, networks of local governments were created. For example, in Angaraes province,
an association of 5 mayors started meeting on a regular basis in order to identify their
rural transport priorities in a concerted manner. In that same province, an association of
10 mayors finally decided to merge their priorities in a single road plan. In Ayacucho, 5
mayors agreed on common arrangements to ensure the maintenance of a rural road.
Through the provincial road board created under the project, district mayors, provincial
mayors and PRI staff got used to hold regular meetings on the definition and
implementation of rural transport policies, and beyond on the definition of a joint vision
for territorial development. For example, in San Martin, 3 districts coordinated to
develop a tourism development program.
participation, . Since 1980 the age for the right to vote was reduced to 18 years old for all citizens (i.e.:
illiterate, women and indigenous peoples). Women vote in Peru since 1956.
22
“Revocatoria”: According to the citizens’ control and participation law, an elected candidate can be
revoked when 25 percent of the municipal elections registered sign it.
92