Guest Column
Reinventing Government: Mexico Hosts 5th Global Forum
By President Vicente Fox of Mexico
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"He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils;
for time is the greatest innovator." —Sir Francis Bacon
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Mexico is honoured to have been chosen as the host and organizer of the 5th Global Forum on Reinventing Government. We are aware of the tremendous effort being made by international organizations to promote and improve quality government practices, in order to redesign and maximize efficiency in public administration.
The Mexican Government has actively encouraged reinvention and implemented innovative practices, and I have made a personal commitment to restructuring federal institutions in order to raise the standards of quality and professionalism that people expect from their government. We have begun to implement actions to assist our business communities in meeting the demands of the global economic environment and to use reinvention principles to implement development agendas with greatly reduced budgets.
This movement, in constant growth, is spreading over all sectors of public administration and management in the executive branch, and has also begun to influence local governments, as well as the legislative and judicial branches. These efforts represent a conscious decision among public sector entities to join forces and make a lasting change in the political structure of a country that has suffered severe hardships due to a lack of organization and efficiency.
Reinventing government focuses on transforming structures that have proven faulty and are out of date. These structures may be of the organizational and functional kind, or conceptual paradigms, which have set mind frames and instilled customs and traditions that are no longer pertinent in government operations. In order to fulfil this mission, we are committed to the concept of "good government" (buen gobierno), which focuses on rebuilding the relationship between public institutions and the people who rely on them.
The notion of good government is necessary for constructing a solid structure and attaining cultural change. This calls for the truly democratic participation of society, as well as the renewal of the social contract that binds a country to its Government. To maximize the opportunities being presented to us by globalization, we must be willing to become citizens of a modern era. Countries must now be capable of achieving solid institutions with the ability to be flexible and evolve.
We are determined to create a government structure that will promote new forms of production, participation and education. It is time to innovate; our Government must be capable of creating and maintaining conditions that will make Mexico more competitive in the global environment. In order to transform the government, we have designed a strategic agenda-Presidential Agenda for Good Government-to address critical issues in government reinvention and serve as the thematic guideline for the Forum.
During the 2nd National Forum on Innovation and Quality in Government, held in Mexico City on 6 November 2002, the Presidential Agenda for Good Government (Agenda Presidencial de Buen Gobierno) was presented. It outlines the strategic process which will be followed to reinvent the Mexican Government. This administration hopes to rebuild the foundations of trust and democracy. This implies both a non-tangible change of attitude among public servants and pragmatic actions that will consolidate a new government philosophy.
During the drafting of this agenda, the following goals were set: building a government that is closer to the people, focused on the people, and meeting people's demands by delivering results. These goals were set with an awareness of the importance that must be placed on developing a model of governance capable of renewing a deteriorated relationship between the public sector and civil society. Our agenda has six strategies, which have proven successful in terms of maximizing government efficiency.
Government that costs less. This means providing better services with less resources. Thanks to the reduction in unnecessary administrative spending, this Administration has been able to channel these resources to more important areas for social development, such as health and education.
Quality government. This implies providing essential services to the people, as well as assuring them high-quality services. This requires not only funding quality government programmes but also listening to the demands and complaints of society.
Professional government. Professionalizing the public sector means attracting and retaining the best people who will focus on proudly serving their country. This process requires an appropriate infrastructure and educational background. The recently enacted Civil Service Law and the efforts to implement it will ensure that this takes place.
Digital government. Today, technology and information are powerful allies not only in reducing corruption and making government more transparent but also in making it more efficient. In June 2003, we announced the "E-Mexico" Satellite Web portal. This ambitious Internet project, which aims to reach more than 10,000 communities by the year 2006, is part of an important effort by the Government to narrow the digital gap that currently exists in Mexico.
Government with regulatory reform. This is a commitment to reduce unnecessary bureaucratic processes and red tape, increasing and improving citizen service, and to provide a more secure and transparent system.
Honest and transparent government. A non-negotiable commitment to honesty, transparency and accountability is a key factor in recovering the trust of the people. We seek to put an end to impunity and create a new set of values and ethics for a new government. The Forum will be part of the National Week on Innovation and Quality in Government. The predecessor to this National Week dates back to the first year of this Administration when the planning and design of the innovation project was begun and events like these forums were conceptualized.
We believe in the power of discussion and dialogue to solve problems. We look on this forum as an opportunity to share and assimilate valuable experiences with people around the world who work towards a common goal: the improvement of their society.
By exploring possible solutions to a plethora of problems, and observing and analyzing the repercussions of different strategies, all those who attend will certainly benefit from this experience. We aim for this gathering to be a place for academic, political and administrative reflection on the role government must play in the twenty-first century. We hope that the different presentations will shed light on possible solutions to existing problems, and we are hopeful that society will participate in the reinvention process.
With the help of our United Nations partners, the conference committee has assembled an impressive list of speakers and best practices from each of the continents.
Workshops will allow time to share best practices and suggest a "reinvention agenda" for UN implementation. Also, three best practices reports will be released at the forum: the American Society for Quality will present a report on worldwide best practices in quality; the BBC is preparing a report on creative solutions to the problems Governments face; and finally, Harvard University will share best practices on government innovation worldwide.
Sir Francis Bacon said that "he who will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator". We are currently searching for new remedies. That is why Mexico fervently joins the aim of reinventing government, and it is honoured to host the conference this year. We are sure that it will prove to be a forum of international dimension that will aid in reaching important conclusions in the field of government improvement. |
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Elected President of Mexico in 2000, Vicente Fox undertook to form a "plural, honest and capable government" to implement a mandate for democratic change. A member of the National Action Party (PAN) since the 1980s, he was elected in 1988 as Federal Deputy for the third district of León, Guanajuato, and while in Congress paid special attention to agricultural matters. He was Governor of Guanajuato from 1995 to 2000. Acknowledging "the importance of opportunity", President Fox is committed to "a different, successful and triumphant Mexico". |
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The 5th Global Forum on Reinventing Government will take place from 3 to 7 November 2003 in Mexico City, under the theme "Innovation and Quality in the 21st Century Government". Heads of State, ministers, government officials, as well as representatives of civil society and the private sector, will address management innovation and public sector capacity for good government, access to services for all, E-government; decentralization and local governance, as well as government accountability and transparency.
Hosted by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Government of Mexico, the Forum will deal with the unequal distribution of globalization's benefits, which affects developing countries particularly. State capacity is seen as an essential condition to make use of opportunities provided by globalization and to protect and promote the interests of vulnerable groups in society.
The Forum will also focus on innovation and quality in government, including professionalism, deregulation and transparency, as well as the Millennium Development Goals. In parallel capacity development workshops, participants will share experiences and best practices in promoting partnerships and dialogue. The meeting will aim to improve the quality of governance at national and local levels by promoting cooperation among Governments, the private sector and non-governmental organizations.
The Global Forum has emerged as one of the most significant global events discussing the reinvention of government. Since the 1st Global Forum, hosted by the United States in 1999, each one has focused on a different theme: in 2000 in Brazil, the importance of democracy; in 2001 in Italy, the role of E-government; and in 2002 in Morocco, issues of development.
—Annabel Boissonnade-Fortheringham for the Chronicle
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