Regional Status Report:

Latin America and the Caribbean Region

Regional Coordinator: Steve Ettinger

Report last updated: 10/04/2010
Reporting Period: 04/07/2010 - 08/31/2010

Overview of Report

1. Executive Summary
2. Regional Initiatives
3. Ongoing and Completed PTF Projects
4. Annex 1: Project Status Updates for Non-FONTRA initiatives

1. Executive Summary
There are currently fifteen ongoing projects and ten completed projects being implemented under
FONTRA. There are three projects being implemented in conjunction with the Global Integrity-led study
on governance at the sub-national level in Argentina, Ecuador and Peru. Out of these three, two are
completed. Additionally, there is one completed directly supported PTF project. Given these figures, there
are a total of 16 ongoing projects and 13 completed in LCR.

2. Regional Initiatives

Since the last Board meeting in April 2010, the following have been the main developments in FONTRA:
1. Implementation of the ten Round 2 (see Table I, below) has been completed, and an independent
consultant (hired by the IDB) has written an evaluation of four of them. Both of the small Round
2.5 projects have been delayed.
2. The thirteen Round 3 projects (11 in Argentina and 1 each in Uruguay and Bolivia) are under
implementation, and must be completed by December 31, 2010, the final closing date for the IDB
loan. Eleven of the 13 projects appear to be on track to meet this deadline.
3. On December 9 and 10, there will be a workshop in Buenos Aires to summarize the experience of
the FONTRA program. PTF is preparing an analytical paper on the achievements and lessons
learned.

3. Ongoing and Completed PTF Projects

Table 1: Ongoing PTF Projects Implemented under FONTRA

CSO &
Country
Project title
INECIP – detecting conflicts of interest in
Ongoing (Round 2.5); mid-
the
1 Argentina term report 3/2010 no final
Ministry of Defense
report yet
INECIP – transparency in public hospital Ongoing (Round 3); mid-term
2 Argentina
procurement report 6/2010
CIPPEC – promoting business commitment Ongoing (Round 3); mid-term
3 Argentina
to anti-corruption report 6/2010
 Table 1: Ongoing PTF Projects Implemented under FONTRA
CSO &
Country
Project title
CIPPEC – implementation of the access to
Ongoing (Round 3);
4 Argentina information law for public water and energy
mid-term report 6/2010
companies in Santa Fe
CIPPEC – regulation of lobbying at the sub- Ongoing (Round 3); mid-term
5 Argentina
national level report 6/2010
UDESA – strengthening the Public Ministry
Ongoing (Round 3); mid-term
6 Argentina to help it in the recuperation of ill-gained
report 5/2010
assets
UDESA – international cooperation as a
Ongoing (Round 3); mid-term
7 Argentina means of reducing impunity with respect to
report 7/2010
ill-gained assets
Center for Patagonian Studies – access to
Ongoing (Round 3); mid-term
8 Argentina information in Patagonia as an anti-
report 5/2010
corruption tool
Citizen 365 – implementation in Cordoba of Ongoing (Round 3); mid-term
9 Argentina
the law on access to information report 5/2010
Commerce Workers Union of Formosa
Ongoing (Round 3); no mid-
10 Argentina Province – developing corporate social
term report yet
responsibility there
Poder Ciudadano – promoting electronic Ongoing (Round 3); checking
11 Argentina
procurement by the federal government status
Foundation for Exercise of Citizenship –
training and enabling citizens leaders of Ongoing (Round 3); no mid-
12 Argentina
Santa Fe province to get access to public term report yet
information
CABOCO – second phase of project on Ongoing (Round 3); mid-
13 Bolivia making bidding on construction projects
more transparent term report 7/2010
Ongoing (Round 2.5); mid-
CEJ - Reducing corruption on
14 Paraguay term report 1/10; no final
Government Procurement
report yet
Public Access Center & Institute of
Legal and Social Studies - index of Ongoing (Round 3); mid-
15 Uruguay
public transparency, in application of term report 6/2010
the new law

Table 2: Completed Projects under FONTRA

Country CSO & Project Title Status

ACIJ – following how corruption cases have

Completed (Round 2); final
1 Argentina been handled in court.
report 2/2010
 Table 2: Completed Projects under FONTRA

Country CSO & Project Title Status

ACIJ – protecting small and medium

Completed (Round 2); final
2 Argentina enterprises from payoff demands
report 2/2010
INECIP – following court treatment of
Completed (Round 2); final
3 Argentina corruption cases in Cordoba
report 12/2009
CIPPEC – helping Congress design
Completed (Round 2); final
4 Argentina regulations on lobbying
report 3/2010
CABOCO – making bidding on construction
Completed (Round 2); final
5 Bolivia projects more transparent
report 3/2010
Por Bolivia – designing a code of ethics for Completed (Round 2); final
6 Bolivia
exporters report 4/2010
CLC – strengthening public access to
Completed (Round 2); final
7 Chile information in San Joaquin
report 2/2010
Genera – helping implement, in San Florida,
Completed (Round 2); final
8 Chile a new law on “citizens’ control”
report 11/2009
Tierra Nueva – promoting transparency in
Completed (Round 2); final
9 Paraguay the Ministry of Finance
report 2010
Uruguay Transparencia – surveying public
Completed (Round 2); final
10 Uruguay opinion regarding corruption
report 12/2009

Table 3: Completed PTF Project

Country Project Title Project Adviser Status

Construction Sector
11 Trinidad & Tobago Steve Ettinger Completed
Enquiry Project
Table 4: Status of PTF Projects implemented in conjunction with the Global Integrity-led study on
governance at the sub-national level in Argentina, Ecuador and Peru

Country Project Title Project Adviser Status

CIPPEC -
dissemination nd Completed;
1 Argentina Steve Ettinger
project preparation disbursed 07/2010
in Argentina

CIPPEC - case
studies and a
regional seminar to Completed;
2 Argentina, Peru, Ecuador Steve Ettinger
disseminate findings disbursed 07/2010
throughout Latin
America

Grupo FARO -
dissemination and Ongoing; final
3 Ecuador Steve Ettinger
project preparation report awaited
in Ecuador
 Annex 1: Brief Project Status Updates for
Non-FONTRA initiatives in the Latin America Region

Project Adviser: Steve Ettinger

Projects related to the study on governance at the sub-national level

PTF approved two grants to CIPPEC and one to Grupo FARO, for their dissemination and project
preparation work in connection with the Sub-national Governance Reform program that they were
carrying out in conjunction with Global Integrity. The first grant to CIPPEC, for $17,800, was for
dissemination and project preparation in Argentina. The second grant to CIPPEC, for $25,000, was for a
regional dissemination campaign centered on three case studies, one from each country (Argentina, Peru
and Ecuador) in the Global Integrity project. Both of these projects have been completed – the final
disbursements were made in July, 2010. The grant to Grupo FARO, for $24,800, was for dissemination
and project identification in Ecuador. The implementation has been completed, and we expect the final
report in early October, at which time the final $2,500 would be disbursed.

The IDB did not approve additional funding to the three countries for transparency projects with the sub-
national governments. Global Integrity has gone ahead, with CIPPEC, Grupo FARO and CAD (with
financing from the National Endowment for Democracy), on capacity building of local NGOs in a few
provinces. PTF will be promoting follow-up projects in the December 9-10 workshop in Buenos Aires.

3. Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute –

Construction Sector Enquiry Project (Completed)

TTTI received a $12,000 PTF grant for a Construction Sector Enquiry Project. The project was to enable
TTTI to give informed testimony at a public enquiry into government procurement of construction
projects. The project was originally expected to be completed by July, 2009, but the Enquiry was
extended into early 2010. The main features were testimony by an international expert and the
conducting of a survey (modeled on one already used in the UK) of construction industry professionals on
perceptions and experiences of corruption issues in this sector in Trinidad.

The final Enquiry hearings were postponed from July 2009 to December. On March 29, 2010, the final
report of the Enquiry was delivered to the President of the Republic, and on April 6 was laid before
Parliament and then made public. The report is over 400 pages long and contains 91 recommendations;
most of TTTI’s recommendations were incorporated. The CEO and COO of the Urban Development
Corporation, a major target of the Enquiry, have resigned. TTTI made public the results of its survey on
March 19, 2010. The nationally televised Enquiry attracted a great deal of attention and gave TTTI a
platform from which to make its case for the need to reduce corruption in the construction sector.
Nevertheless, the final outcome of the process remains uncertain, until the Government has decided what
actions to take as a result. TTTI submitted their final report to PTF in June 2010.