2025 Award "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"

Los Ríos, a 6G Province! (Electronic or digital government, Rural or territorial government, Participatory government, Green or sustainable government, Social innovation government, Resilient government) consisted of the progressive construction of a governance model that originates from the needs of the population and the objectives that the Provincial Government of Los Ríos seeks to achieve in order to meet citizens' demands. This practice spans five years (2020-2024). This initiative is aimed at the 898,652 people living in the province of Los Ríos. The population is distributed as follows: 53.99% in urban areas and 46.01% in rural areas. Of the population, 49.34% are men, and 50.66% are women. The total number of people with disabilities is 9,540 women and 14,036 men. The general objective is to establish articulated processes between the citizens and the public administration through the implementation of mechanisms for citizen participation focused on six components. Its specific objectives are to elevate decision-making in the public sphere through citizen participation methods and to achieve meaningful results for the people of Los Ríos through the products and services provided by the Provincial Government (GAD Provincial).

The practice began by establishing the Participatory Government component through mechanisms such as participatory budgeting and accountability. Additionally, citizen oversight committees, user committees, and citizen advocacy committees were formed. The Digital Government component uses information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve services, optimize processes, promote transparency, and facilitate citizen participation. The Ordinance regulating Environmental Management in the Province of Los Ríos was enacted, launching the Green and Sustainable Government component. The Social Innovation Government component seeks creative and collective solutions to social problems. Agreements were made with MIES (Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion) to share resources, and similar agreements were established with other public and private institutions. The Resilient Government component allowed the province to confront health crises like COVID-19, as well as natural disasters such as floods and droughts. The monitoring and sustainability of the practice are ensured through the adoption of a comprehensive approach based on strategies, public policies, regulatory frameworks, and citizen participation.

For more information:

https://unaprovincia5g.blogspot.com (External link)

https://www.oidp.net/docs/repo/doc1676.pdf  (External link)