Toward a more efficient management of rural areas in Colombia

With the objective of strengthening the development of public administration in rural areas of Colombia, the University started the Governance, Political Management and Public Management Program in Tumaco and Quibdo, in the Colombian Pacific Area. 

The inauguration event included the participation of more than 100 Tumaqueños, which shows the expectations created by the program. 

According to Luis Fernando Barón Porras, General Coordinator of the Program, the commitment shown by the public officials of Tumaco, as well as their willingness to obtain training and tools that enable them to provide efficient management, is essential for the program's success. 

More than 50 participants responded to the call to participate in the Program in Quibdo, mostly coming from neighboring municipalities, reaffirming their willingness to obtain technical-practical inputs that enable them to develop a municipal management model in accordance with the needs of the community. It is the first time that the training is provided in Quibdo, a jungle population with great hydric potential where, paradoxically, its inhabitants experience serious limitations in their access to water. 

For Juan José Fernández, professor of the first module of the course in both locations, it is essential to understand that political management is based on the application of technical and administrative knowledge. He highlighted, "We need to have a conceptual base, analyzing different definitions starting from what they are not. The State, the regime, the government, and the public administration, although related between them, have clear differences that must be taken into consideration when carrying out the study of the political environment". 

Since its creation in 2001, the Governance, Political Management, and Public Management Program has trained more than 1,900 Colombians. The Program is currently implemented in seven cities of Colombia as a result of the institutional support provided by the  Universidad ICESI and the Universidad del Rosario.