Informe Técnico Trimestral No. 9 del Programa Umbral II

The program, which began in 2008, has been extended until April 30, 2012, to complete outstanding tasks and implement key components. The main objective of the program is to strengthen the capacity of Paraguayan institutions, particularly the judiciary, to implement effective and transparent management systems. The program has made notable progress in several areas. In Component 1, the capacity of the Ministerio Público (Public Ministry) has been strengthened through the development of a solution for the control of line, which has been identified and is currently being implemented. The program has also made progress in Component 2, where the software for the Tribunal Contencioso-Administrativo (Administrative Controversy Tribunal) has been implemented, and the offices of the tribunal have been renovated and equipped with new furniture. In Component 3, the implementation of the MECIP (Management and Control of Public Expenditures) system has been completed in the AGPE (General Directorate of Public Expenditures) and the CGR (Comptroller General's Office). The program has also made progress in the implementation of the SPIR (System for the Management of Public Resources) in the Ministry of Hacienda. The program has also conducted training sessions for officials from various institutions, including the CGR, AGPE, and Ministry of Hacienda, to determine the status of implementation of the MECIP and plans for the year 2012. In Component 4, the software for the Centro de Atención y Reclamos (Center for Attention and Complaints) of the Dirección Nacional de Aduanas (National Customs Directorate) has been implemented, and the manual for functions and procedures has been approved. The center has been officially habilitated in the first floor of the DNA. In Component 5, the material didactic on intellectual property rights has been finalized and approved by the Dirección de Curriculum (Curriculum Department) of the Ministry of Education and Culture. A training session on intellectual property rights was also conducted at the Universidad Autónoma de Asunción (Autonomous University of Asunción). In Component 6, a survey was conducted to determine the level of knowledge of citizens about the roles and services of the Policía Nacional (National Police), which showed a 46% increase in knowledge, equivalent to a 10% increase over the baseline of 41%. A ceremony was held to mark the completion of Component 6 in the Dirección de Migraciones (Migration Directorate) of the Ministry of the Interior. The program has also made progress in promoting citizen participation, with 7 comisarías (police stations) participating in planning and prevention workshops with neighborhood commissions in the framework of the ALTERNATIVA project (Component 6). A manual for the application of the risk map tool and the follow-up of implementation recommendations was also published and distributed in the framework of the APEP project (Component 5). The program will continue to work actively to implement the activities planned for the extension period until April 30, 2012, seeking the best solutions to obstacles and proposing improvements that are sustainable over time.