Municipal governance ranking

An election, where there is the possibility of re-election, becomes, indisputably, an evaluation of results. We have witnessed elections in which the number of re-elected governors was truly impressive. Does this mean that the management of the Governments, in general, was good? Maybe yes, maybe not. For an ordinary voter, it is very difficult to determine, objectively, whether a Governor's management was good or bad.

Next year, with our votes, we have to evaluate the management of the municipalities. The challenge is important. If with our vote we reward those who deserve it and punish those who do not, the country will undoubtedly benefit. Similarly, if we are wrong in our assessment, this could erode many achievements at the Central or State Government level.

Today, in the case of a normal voter, who has other occupations and concerns, I ask myself: How should he know if the results of the management of a municipality, which at first glance may seem poor, are not located within a very good management, aimed at achieving sustainable improvements? How should management be measured to establish, when considering available resources, whether there is excellence or waste?

Imagine the confusion of parents if the educational society suddenly decides to eliminate the school report/the grades. How would they go about evaluating their children's academic ability, especially in subjects that were not even part of the parents' curriculum? The above is similar to the confusion that a voter may feel when having to choose their municipal authorities.

We have just heard expressions such as: "Democracy with hunger is not Democracy." In our current world, we could also say that “Democracy without correct and accessible information is not Democracy.”

When I recently had the opportunity to travel through a Central American country, I was surprised by the certainty with which many professionals, both from public and private, national and international entities, held consistent opinions regarding which municipalities were well governed and which not. This gave me to understand that in the field of municipal administration, there are certain variables that, objectively evaluated, can allow giving a reasonable opinion on the quality of its management.

If true, it occurs to me that a measure that could help strengthen the efficiency of our democracy would be to create a municipal “ranking” for the more than 300 Municipalities that exist in Venezuela. Said "ranking" could indicate to us, as voters, whether, in general terms, our municipality is among the good or among the bad.

I am sure that if in a country, a performance index were used, even if imperfect, in the election to renew its more than 300 municipal authorities, this would allow the people to keep the best and dismiss the worst, leading them towards a different and better future. Another would be the future of a country where the voters' decision criteria is based only on the sympathy of the Mayor or on the quality of the promotional spots.

Of course, I do not believe that a measurement, no matter how objective, can guarantee an analytically correct result. Much less, do I claim that a “ranking” can replace the value of the sum of the votes individually cast. However, I consider that a reasonable “ranking” can at its extremes (the best and the worst) function like the information regarding its ingredients, such as fats, calories, proteins and vitamins, that appears on the food packaging. This nutritional information does not constitute a prohibition on eating food, but it is an indication that allows us to rationalize the diet.

At this time, it would give the impression that the country is betting on decentralization. In such circumstances, I believe that one of the most important contributions that civil society could make would be to establish a committee to evaluate municipal efficiency, whose main product is, precisely, the Municipal “Ranking”.

In ranking design, there is no need for excess precision. I am sure that the 50 municipalities that are “ranked” as the best will truly be among the 150 best. Likewise, the 50 municipalities that are “ranked” as the worst must surely be among the 150 that truly make up the worst.

The suggestion I make is not intended to reduce our rights as voters. By declaring that I am not in the capacity to analyze whether things are good or bad in my municipality (in terms of what can and should be done), what I am requesting is some external help, I am not qualifying myself as electorally illiterate. . I just wish they would provide me with glasses that allow me to see better.

Translated by Google from a 1998 Op-Ed in Venezuela

How good or bad is your municipality?

I recently had the opportunity to travel to a Central American country. I was impressed by the fact that many professionals, both from the public as well as the private sector, both local and foreign, were basically in agreement as to which municipalities were well governed and which were not.

Evidently, there are a great number of subjective factors that may influence or “color” opinions from municipality to municipality. Some of these we have seen before, such as the mayor’s looks and/or congeniality or how big a share of the nation’s global resources it has been awarded. Certain variables can, however, be objectively evaluated in order to allow a reasonable ranking of municipalities as far as effective government is concerned.

In many parts of the world, including Venezuela, we have seen that expectations of improvements in public services are based on decentralization of power. As a result, it would seem positive to be able to develop a methodology which would help the population measure the results and efficiency of its government(s).

Bad results are immediately evident; their causes are not. An inefficient municipality can easily justify its unsatisfactory performance by alluding to a lack of resources. On the other hand, a below par result can also be hidden behind a surplus of resources. Having to take care of his day to day duties, how is a simple voter to know which is which?

The absence of knowledge or of access to information based on very certain and objective data about municipal government as well as an accompanying aversion to the unknown, attempts against a healthy renovation of the latter’s authorities. This lack of benchmarks and standards of measurement may also mean that results which may seem poor in the short run but that are designed by provide meaningful long-term improvements are not suitably rewarded.

Just imagine the chaos and confusion if our system of education all of a sudden decides to do away with the report card. How would parents evaluate the scholastic capacity of their children, especially when many of them haven’t even heard about the existence of the subjects currently being taught. This is very similar to the confusion of most voters when the time comes to choose their authorities for the next period.

We have about 300 municipalities that hold official elections in Venezuela. Few voters, so much so that I personally don’t know of one, have even the remotest idea whether their municipal government is better or worse that his neighbor’s. A ranking such as that mentioned above would help us comply with our obligations as voters.

Evidently, nobody can say that the measurement of results, however objective, will result in the correct analysis of any particular administration. However, a reasonable ranking could at least go a long way toward becoming a valuable tool to identify extreme situations. It would certainly identify those governments which one should hang on to for dear life and flag those that should go as quickly as possible. For example, the list of ingredients printed on packaged foods such as levels of calories, proteins, vitamins and chemicals is not meant to prohibit ingestion of the food but to inform and allow you to control your diet.

At a time when the country is betting the farm on decentralization, even in the face of certain risks such as runaway federalism, I am under the impression that one of the best possible investments we could make would be the creation of an evaluation committee whose task it would be to review efficiency at municipal levels. This committee or group, in addition to having solid methodological knowledge and ample resources with which to ensure that the job is done, must be totally independent of all political movement and of all people who could aspire to posts in municipal governments.

Perfection is the enemy of good. We don’t have to be overly precise. I don’t doubt for one minute that the 50 municipalities that are ranked at the top of the list would realistically belong at least in the top 150 and that the bottom 50 would really belong in the bottom 150.

A country of this composition that manages through elections to keep 50 good ones and trash 50 bad ones is certainly on the road to a better future than a country that bases its choice primarily on election period jingles. This means taking firm command of our future based on realistic information.

By saying all this, I’m not saying that I want our rights to vote reduced. By having declared myself incapable of saying with reasonable certainty whether things in my municipality are going well or not (in terms of what can be done and what can’t), I don’t wish to disqualify myself as an electoral illiterate. I simply wish someone would give me some spectacles with which to see better. And while you’re at it, throw the state governments in the pot as well.