(Expansion) – Public services represent ‘the most apparent face of government’ and must be viewed as a system, which goes beyond just meeting a set of social needs. These fulfill a specific role in people’s quality of life and their efficiency should be seen, not as an expense by governments, but as a necessary factor for continuous improvement.
Understanding what an efficient public service is seems complex. As cities have developed, the challenges of establishing better conditions for their implementation are increasing. The common mistake is focused on prioritizing projects of momentary political resonance, leaving aside the needs that benefit society in the long term.
In this sense, an efficient public service is one that considers two variables: structure and infrastructure, which require parallel development for their success. On the one hand, the structure refers to the level of effective governance of the government and the institutions that comprise it; its main indicator is assertiveness in decision-making, ranging from adequate budget execution to orderly planning based on the priority and future needs of the population.
The current situation in Mexico presents a discouraging scenario for this variable. In 2020, the states and municipalities faced a, an amount that adds to the generalized in the APF close to 75% and that has significantly affected the operation of various public institutions throughout the country.
Although any budget adjustment is questionable, the executive’s economic policies have weakened local coffers. Although there are financing mechanisms that allow for greater investment capital, it must be remembered that the base exercised in public services comes from taxes. The budgetary role of the government must not be left aside and fall on the citizens, there must be a commitment by the governments in this matter with their inhabitants.
On the other hand is the infrastructure, which considers the installed capacity and the necessary equipment for the development and implementation of public services. Although for many this may be considered the most important factor, it must not be forgotten that transportation, drinking water, drainage or public lighting systems, to name a few examples, do not work by themselves. These require an operating model that optimizes their operation, which is only possible with a correct governmental structure.
Under this idea, it is important to highlight that the majority of the population in Latin America lives in metropolitan areas, managed by more than one local government. In Mexico this phenomenon is common, with Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara as the main exponents. This implies planning public services with an extended vision, considering cities as a whole, which necessarily requires partnerships between municipalities, even at the state and federal level.
There are success stories under local collaboration models for the implementation of public services in Mexico, such is the case in the state of Nuevo León. Said body is made up of the municipalities that make up the Monterrey Metropolitan Area and its objective is the management, disposal and use of solid urban waste generated in the area.
With the support of the World Environment Fund and the World Bank, a project was developed through the formation of a public-private partnership for the energy use of biogas from waste. Since its start-up in 2003 to date, 1,692 GWh of electricity have been generated, which is equivalent to a reduction in emissions of.
This energy is used for the public lighting service of the municipality of Monterrey. It also supplies the ‘Metrorrey’ Collective Transportation System, the facilities of the ‘Agua y Drenaje de Monterrey, IPD’ operating agency and the System for the Integral Development of the Family of the State of Nuevo León (DIF).
This example shows the comprehensiveness and scope of the development of public service projects in local collaboration, viewed as a system which has elements that connect and allow one to positively infer one from the other. This model shows that the metropolitan challenge of providing efficient public services is possible to face, through a solid governance structure and the execution of infrastructure projects with joint and long-term strategic planning.
Public services must evolve and grow in parallel with cities, avoiding that these lag behind the needs of the population. Likewise, support in financing mechanisms such as public-private partnerships (PPPs) are key to complementing local financial capacity and being able to provide better public services to citizens under an efficiency approach.
This conjunction allows, in turn, to give greater support in their technical capacities, which are fundamental for the development of successful projects in public services. This fact generates a double benefit in the fulfillment of objectives both at the political and social development levels.
More and better results are possible, through political will and the sum of efforts of common interest. Addressing the variables that respond to the function of efficiency in public services is one of the main roles of any government, and the role of citizens is to monitor, protect and demand these conditions for the well-being of their cities in the present and for the future.
Editor’s note: Sebastián Guzmán is a researcher at Ethos Public Policy Laboratory. Follow him on and / or on. The opinions published in this column belong exclusively to the author.
