The School of Government participated in the launch of the third phase of the project to train municipalities in Open Government and Citizen Participation. The initiative is being carried out in conjunction with the European Union, the Open and Digital Country Foundation, and the municipality of Bahía Blanca.
The Federal Capital headquarters of our University was once again the venue from which the start of the third stage of the project was announcedTowards participatory government: Promoting open government policies and citizen participation at the subnational levelThe project, co-financed by the European Union and carried out in conjunction with the Open and Digital Country Foundation (PAD) and the Municipality of Bahía Blanca, aims to consolidate digital transformation, transparency, and citizen participation in 30 municipalities across Argentina. The project, which began in 2024It aims to strengthen institutional quality through open government tools, data use, and spaces for citizen participation.
In this phase, 10 new municipalities were incorporated: San Miguel, Pinamar and 9 de Julio (Buenos Aires province); Reconquista, Rafaela and Cañada de Gómez (Santa Fe); Trelew and Rada Tilly (Chubut); Mendiolaza (Córdoba); and Yerba Buena (Tucumán), which join 20 other cities that already participated in previous stages.
“It is extremely gratifying to begin the third stage of this open government and citizen participation project at the federal level and to see and hear how it has borne fruit in so many municipalities since its inception until just over two years ago. It is an initiative fully aligned with our DNA as a School of Government because it aims to strengthen two key pillars for us: improving institutional quality and the quality of management,” said Alfonso Santiago, director of the School of Government, during the event held last Thursday, April 9.
During the launch, the program's main results were shared, and mayors presented their experiences, along with the new participating municipalities and the project's next steps. In this third year, the program will further develop open data portals, citizen participation platforms, and mechanisms for co-creating public policies, along with training for municipal teams.
Throughout its first two phases, the program has already shown concrete results in the 20 participating municipalities. Regarding open data, the number of published datasets increased from 880 in 2024 to a cumulative total of 1.855 in 2025, with the addition of new portals and improvements to their usability, reaching more than 66.000 visits annually. In parallel, digital citizen participation processes grew from 7 to 21 initiatives in one year, consolidating tools such as participatory budgeting, public consultations, and digital platforms for interaction with residents.
In terms of impact, some municipalities achieved significant adoption levels: in San Juan, 84% of votes in participatory processes were cast online, while in Venado Tuerto, digital participation reached 99,6%. Meanwhile, cities like Mendoza, Tandil, and Bahía Blanca consolidated their open data portals and expanded their use by citizens.
These advances also resulted in the institutionalization of open government policies, with ordinances, decrees and the creation of specific areas within the municipalities, integrating these tools into the functioning of the local State and guaranteeing their continuity.
The president of the PAD Foundation, Andrés Ibarra, stated: “This third phase consolidates a concrete policy of modernizing the State at the local level, reaching 30 municipalities and expanding a federal network based on openness and innovation. We are already seeing results in participation, transparency, and quality of services, and our goal is for every city in Argentina to incorporate digitization and data usage tools that translate into real solutions for residents and strengthen the bond with the citizenry.”
For his part, the European Union Ambassador to Argentina, Erik Høeg, highlighted the progress of the program: “Argentina is part of the Digital Alliance between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean, which allows us to promote innovation and the exchange of good practices,” and reaffirmed the commitment to support these processes.
In turn, the mayor of San Juan, Susana Laciar, shared her experience as a municipality participating in the program and explained its impact on local management: “The digitization of the participatory budget allowed us to multiply citizen participation and improve transparency.”
“It is a unique opportunity for the Rada Tilly community. Having the support of País Abierto y Digital as well as the Universidad Austral “This will allow us to have the capacity within the municipality to create a long-term public policy. As a community and as a municipality, this program will allow us to become a much more transparent administration, closer to our residents, and with channels for citizen participation,” explained Mariel Peralta, mayor of Rada Tilly, in the province of Chubut.
In parallel, the program strengthened capacities within local governments, with more than 170 officials trained and more than 80 municipal areas involved between 2024 and 2025, along with the development of digital literacy programs aimed at expanding access and reducing the technological gap.
The third stage consolidates a policy that has allowed progress in the modernization of local governments, promoting greater transparency, participation and efficiency in public management, with the challenge of reducing the digital divide and substantially improving the digital inclusion of citizens.
