2023 Award "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"

From the implementation of the training model in the action of citizenship peace, the Secretariat of Planning and Citizen Participation (SPPC) has managed to gradually develop the institutionalization of citizen participation, starting with the creation of the state legal framework, following the regulations and municipal structures for citizen participation.

With the aim of continuing to institute processes of governance, prevention and a culture of peace in the municipalities of Jalisco, which are recognized as a public good that strengthens the agency capacity of citizens and their incidence in the management of the public in terms of governance. , the SPPC implements from 2022 the Process of Formation of Communities of Governance, Peace and Prevention: "Comales".

The Comal is the set of actors, structures and relationships that promotes local processes for collective well-being, through participatory citizenship that builds peace in terms of governance.

The Comal methodology is not a recipe, but rather a set of tools that each Comal team in their municipality takes up, rearranges and gives their own direction based on their circumstances. The methodological route is planned in seven stages and three cuts between 2023 and 2024.

The main strategy is based on a citizen training process, in which public servants are included, and at the same time, short-term monitoring of each municipal participation structure is carried out. This training is made up of face-to-face workshops, focal advisory meetings, community chats, virtual evaluation and follow-up meetings, and inter-municipal forums.

The Comales process seeks to support the governance roundtables in the design, monitoring, implementation and evaluation of the PMGD, integrating the citizen Councils into networks, in a constant review of the baselines and improvement routes, (methodological proposals that are guides for indicators to evaluate the level of citizen participation, governance and culture of peace that is lived in the daily life of communal municipalities).

Each Comal municipality, according to its process, is implementing citizen participation mechanisms, such as assemblies in neighborhoods, delegations and agencies, to include the population in the process of reflection/action, supported by citizen structures, councils or neighborhood committees. and/or neighbors, so that gradually:

• Citizens and municipal officials know the Law and the PMDG and use it to promote the agenda.

• Citizens have dialogue with their municipal governments and follow up on the PMDG in a collaborative and participatory manner.

• Citizens define strategies and actions with a focus on governance and peace, which transcend and remain as part of their culture.

Currently there are Comales in Jamay, Tototlán, Atenguillo, Guachinango, Poncitlán, Ahualulco, Etzatlán, Ameca, San Juanito de Escobedo, Arandas, Colotlán, Totatiche, Tlaquepaque, Cocula and Amacueca, and at this moment, the most advanced communities are developing skills to focus the diagnostic section of their Municipal Development and Governance Plans, to define the topics of their approach agenda that they will promote in the framework of governance for peace.

https://participa.jalisco.gob.mx/demo-participacion/ (External link)