Diagnóstico de Servicios Locales Públicos del Municipio de Marcala, La Paz

The study aimed to update and evaluate the situation of local services, which was a result of the intervention of the USAID/NEXOS program. The study contained general and specific objectives, as well as relevant data and statistics about the municipality. The information was obtained through the application of instruments in the field with the active participation of municipal authorities, civil society, organizations, and institutions that support the management of public services, including health, education, water, sanitation, and roads. The study analyzed each public service, considering characteristics, coverage, quality, access, and continuity, as well as the participation of civil society in different spaces according to their functions and roles. The Corporation Municipal de Marcala is currently composed of ten members, including the Municipal Mayor, Vice Mayor, and eight councilors, who were elected for the period 2014-2018. The Municipal Mayor and Vice Mayor belong to the National Party, while five councilors belong to the National Party, three to the Liberal Party, and two to the Liberty and Refoundation Party (LIBRE). The Corporation municipal deliberates and approves mechanisms for control to ensure the good functioning of the administrative structure, as well as the approval of agreements and ordinances to promote good conduct in the population of the municipality. The municipal authorities value the participatory relationships between the municipality and civil society, particularly in areas related to planning and development, such as the prioritization of community needs, the rendering of accounts, and the execution of community projects. However, the municipality does not have a tool for tracking the fulfillment of agreements between the CM and civil society, although the Municipal Secretary keeps a physical record. The municipality has some instruments for planning municipal management, including the Municipal Budget Plan 2016, the Strategic Plan for Development, and the Plan of Investment. The recaudation of own revenues has maintained a downward trend, with a variation of -43.6% between 2013-2012, 5.5% between 2014-2013, and -10.2% between 2015-2014, due to a decrease in some municipal taxes and fees. The main providers of public services in the municipality are Aguas de Marcala, Water Boards, the Secretary of Health, the Secretary of Education, and the Municipality itself. The infrastructure for health services is limited, with a CESAMO, two CESARs, and a Maternal and Child Emergency Clinic, which cover a total of 30,828 inhabitants. The majority of the population covered by the health services is in the adult stage, with a 37.6% representation, for which actions are taken to provide attention in family planning and prenatal care of quality. In the stage of children, there is a population of 35.19% of the total, in which programs are focused on integral attention and permanent vigilance. The stage of adolescence, represented by 10.7%, receives orientation on prevention of pregnancy and conflict of social interaction and drug addiction. The elderly stage represents the smallest percentage of the total population, with 5.3%, in which active work is done in the prevention of degenerative diseases and psychological integration and social support. In the last four years, 3,185 births have been attended at the Maternal and Child Clinic. The coverage of the water supply service in the municipality is 79%, with 87% in the urban area and 70.91% in the rural area. Regarding the quality of the water, 69% of the Water Boards interviewed (25) disinfect the water with chlorine. The coverage of sanitary sewage in the municipality is 87%, with 43% in the urban area through the municipal sewage network, and 57% through individual solutions with septic tanks. In the rural area, the disposal of excreta is 75% through latrines. The urban area has the collection and disposal of solid waste to an open dump that does not comply with any environmental norm of the country. The municipality, being a major producer of coffee, has environmental contamination problems due to the inadequate treatment of the waters by the producers. However, the UMA, with the support of Mi Ambiente, carry out activities to mitigate the damage. In the educational sector, the municipality has 109 educational centers, of which 44 are centers of non-formal education (PROHECO and CCEPREB). In the period 2012-2016, 99% of students enrolled in pre-basic level completed the academic year, 99% in basic level, and 98% in medium level for the years 2014-2016. The data express an adequate attendance of students in the educational system. The municipality has a diversity of productive activities and potential to generate competitive advantage, highlighting coffee as the main source of income and employment, followed by commerce and services associated with tourism. The municipality has a recent experience of promotion of DEL, where the municipality