What is the Regional Learning Program? The Regional Learning Program (PAR – for its Spanish acronym) is an alliance of national and international NGOs, municipal governments and the Latin-American Federation of Cities, Municipal Governments and Local Government Associations (FLACMA) working to promote improved public policy for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at sub-national levels. The PAR emphasizes the importance of bringing together experiences (technical expertise) for learning (knowledge), and advocacy at a regional level to improve the impact of sub national governments on poverty reduction.

Where does the PAR operate? Bolivia Peru Ecuador Colombia Nicaragua Brazil

GNTP, The National Working Group for Participation (Bolivia) (GNTP–for its Spanish acronym) Supports and strengthens the construction of a just and equitable society, where forums for exercising citizenry of vulnerable groups is promoted. Strengthening respect for diversity, shared responsibility, and leadership towards a collective well-being. The partners IBAM, The Brazilian Institute for Municipal Administration (Brazil) Working to strengthen municipal governments, through a vision of a democratic society, whose goals include the study, exploration and search for solutions to municipal and urban problems, in the context of regional and national development.

REDPERU National network of civil society organizations working to promote citizen participation decentralization and accountability in Peru. FLACMA The Latin-American Federation of Cities, Municipal Governments and Local Government Associations. Promotes improved policy frameworks and conditions for local governments, engages with international community and donor organizations. CARE International International NGO committed to improving livelihoods and reducing poverty, involved in Andean countries. The partners

Pact (Washington D.C. USA) Builds empowered communities, effective governments and responsible private institutions that give people an opportunity for a better life; by strengthening the capacity of organizations and institutions to be good service providers, represent their stakeholders, network with others for learning and knowledge sharing, and advocate for social, economic and environmental justice. Impact Alliance (Global / Africa / Asia) Inspire, inform, and improve practice and performance within organizations leading to the reduction of poverty and the achievement of sustainable livelihoods. And Others such as Quito Honesto and Bogota Como Vamos The partners

What has PAR accomplished so far? The development of approaches for improving local and regional governance in bi-national, cross-border regions of the Amazon between Bolivia and Brazil. These processes help adjacent local governments in two countries to better address common challenges such as improving health and education services, addressing social challenges of human trafficking and HIV/Aids, better natural resource management and strengthening the capacity for productivity and trade. Tackling urban poverty through the development of a participatory, integrated approach in urban areas of Santa Cruz in Bolivia, including the use of Citizen Report Cards, MDG based indicators and planning a replica of the Bogota Como Vamos experience. Improving policy response and frameworks to these two specific challenges

What has PAR accomplished so far? (cont.) Enhanced capacity of FLACMA to better engage with IFIs on modalities and mechanisms for sub national lending Supported policy dialogue between sub national governments and IFIs on decentralization policies and programs in Peru Provided technical inputs from regional experiences to policy dialogue and design of a Social Protection Strategy for Urban Areas in Bolivia Produced and disseminated a series of case studies of innovative poverty reduction approaches led by NGOs, local governments or municipal associations in the region

What has PAR accomplished so far? We have increased the level of awareness of the challenges, needs and importance of sub national governments at local and regional levels Greater exchange between Latin American sub national governments, its representative bodies and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) The development, implementation and refinement of innovative methods for identifying, disseminating, and sharing best practices, methodologies, and tools to address urban and cross-border local governance issues The development of tools and approaches for bottom up, responsive, capacity building that is based on horizontal exchange that drives innovation A robust PAR community web platform for improved virtual management, coordination and sharing.

What challenges does PAR address? The need to develop the capacities of sub national governments to better support the achievement of the MDGs and poverty reduction Limited information and knowledge flows concerning the challenges and opportunities between the International Financial Institutions and sub national governments in Latin America Tackling poverty in urban areas as in Latin America more people under $2/day live in urban areas The complexities faced by border regions in distant and neglected areas of the Amazon along the Brazil-Andean Countries border

How does the PAR respond to these challenges? CONNECTING experiences and resources of different actors at the local, national, and international levels DEVELOPING coordinated responses to local, national and regional challenges that combine the expertise and resources of different actors SCALING-UP local solutions to regional challenges connect develop scale-up

The PAR brings regional perspectives to local work and local experience to regional decision-making processes and actors

What was learned? At the partnership and regional mechanism level – a new way of operating Brokering between actors, themes and levels in a simultaneous and focused way Focusing innovation on a specific problem/challenge using a wide range of capacity inputs and knowledge Creating a learning arquithecture to develop relationships, operational processes and knowledge connect develop scale-up

What is new? Innovations for supporting sub national governance and poverty reduction in Latin America Strategic engagement with IFIs on specific issues and programs to work with sub national governments, e.g. urban infrastructure and social protection loans in Bolivia Strengthening regional agenda and voice of LGA as well as FLACMA for key strategic issues, e.g. capacity building and sub national lending connect develop scale-up

What was learned and what is new? Innovations for supporting sub national governance and poverty reduction in Latin America Testing approaches and instruments, e.g. governance and inter-municipal cooperation in urban and border areas and tools to measure them (WB- CRC, PACT-LGB) Recuperating regional experiences for policy dialogue, e.g. decentralization in Perú connect develop scale-up

Would you like to learn more, or get involved in the Regional Learning Program? Visit our web site, or contact: Marcelo Renjel (Coordinator) Fernando Dick (GNTP, Bolivia) Gil Suarez (IBAM, Brazil) Marco Zelada (CARE International) Carlos Herz (Red Peru) Jeffrey Kwaterski (Pact/Impact Alliance)