Mexico Transparency Rapid Response Project Quarterly Technical Report January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021

The project's overall objective is to strengthen interinstitutional coordination mechanisms, enhance Government of Mexico capacities, and facilitate the engagement of civil society organizations at the federal and state levels to prevent, investigate, and penalize corruption more effectively. The project's assistance is implemented in close collaboration with key Government of Mexico agencies and civil society organizations to ensure local ownership and motivate the sustainability of project activities and results. The project's development hypothesis is that periodic local systems analyses, followed by strategic technical assistance, training, rapid results mechanisms, and small grants, can be a catalyst for sustained improvements in reducing corruption. The project's main projected counterparts include the Comité de Participación Ciudadana (CPC) of the National Anti-Corruption System (SNA), the Red Nacional de CPCs (National Network of CPCs), the Convención Nacional de Fiscales Anticorrupción-CONAFA (National Association of Anti-Corruption Prosecutors), civil society organizations, and State Anti-Corruption Systems (SEAs) and other local stakeholders in target states. The project's geographic coverage is nationwide, with collaboration with national networks of SNA implementers and selected SEAs in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Nuevo León, Quintana Roo, Sonora, Jalisco, and Zacatecas. The project's reporting period is Fiscal Year 2021, Quarter 2, from January 30, 2021, to March 31, 2021. The project's main areas of work include Technical Assistance, Training, Rapid Results, and the Small Grants Program. The principal results of these activities are briefly described below. Enhancing peer-to-peer collaboration among Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutors to revamp and streamline their investigative and prosecutorial functions, the project assisted CONAFA in concluding several key tasks, including developing a series of recommendations for standardizing corruption crimes at the federal and state levels. The project also enhanced the capacities of public servants and civil society organizations to prevent, investigate, and penalize corruption more effectively. The project assisted the Comité de Participación Ciudadana (CPC) in developing a series of recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the National Anti-Corruption System (SNA). The project also provided training to government officials and civil society organizations on anti-corruption measures, including the development of a training strategy for Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutors. The project's implementation status is as follows: Component 1, Demand-Driven Technical Assistance, has made significant progress in providing technical assistance to the Government of Mexico and civil society organizations. Component 2, Capacity-Building, has also made significant progress in building the capacities of public servants and civil society organizations to prevent, investigate, and penalize corruption more effectively. Component 3, Rapid Results, has achieved significant results in implementing rapid results mechanisms to address corruption. Component 4, Small Grants, has also achieved significant results in providing small grants to civil society organizations to support anti-corruption activities. The project's monitoring, evaluation, and learning plan and implementation update indicate that the project has made significant progress in achieving its objectives. The project has achieved 100% of its annual performance targets for the number of legislative and/or procedural reforms to bring the Federal and/or State legal framework into compliance with the SNA. The project has also achieved 300% of its annual performance targets for the number of USG-assisted CSOs that participate in legislative proceedings and/or engage in advocacy with national or state legislature and its committees. The project has also achieved significant results in implementing anti-corruption measures, including the development of a series of recommendations for standardizing corruption crimes at the federal and state levels. The project has also provided training to government officials and civil society organizations on anti-corruption measures, including the development of a training strategy for Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutors. The project's sustainability is ensured through local ownership and the engagement of key Government of Mexico agencies and civil society organizations in the project's activities and results.