Gobernarte:
Mapping Latin America's
Best Public Innovation

Over 4 editions, we have helped the Inter-American Development Bank in molding its awards for public innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean, uncovering and mapping the top practices of subnational governments to deliver innovative, efficient solutions to the challenges facing their communities.

The challenge

In Latin America and the Caribbean, one of the most urbanized regions in the world, subnational governments play a pivotal role as key providers of essential services. Their actions have a profound impact on communities, as they address the unique and pressing challenges that define the region.

“Gobernarte: The Art of Good Government Awards,” an inspiring initiative by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), seeks to shine a spotlight on innovation in public management within the region. Its mission? To uncover and celebrate the most innovative solutions and policies emerging from subnational governments in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the aim of extending their impact to transform government administration practices within a region teeming with over 620 million inhabitants.

Our approach

Given our profound expertise in the realm of public innovation and our keen understanding of global trends and best practices, the IADB entrusted strategic support to Anteverti in 2018, as the 5th edition of the awards rolled around. Our mission? To craft compelling calls for submissions and meticulously tailor outreach efforts to subnational governments in Latin America and the Caribbean—the epicenter of this initiative.

Since then, we have been annually helping the IADB design and develop the entire awards submission process. Our journey has encompassed assisting the organization in shaping the thematic focus for each edition, coordinating the efforts of the discerning jury, aiding in the identification of projects optimal for submission, and organizing workshops for the winning project teams.

The impact

Over the past editions, Gobernarte has transformed into a stage where the best practices of subnational governments in Latin America and the Caribbean, born from the region’s most pressing challenges, have stepped into the limelight. Specifically, the competition has recognized and mapped innovative solutions aimed at stimulating citizen participation and digital democracy, promoting innovative services for vulnerable communities, preventing human trafficking, and ensuring the continuity of citizen services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, among other topics.

Moreover, our support has contributed to fortifying the capacities of the teams in charge of the awarded projects. Through carefully designed workshops, we’ve nurtured knowledge sharing and skill enhancement, engaging representatives from subnational governments in Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Chile, and El Salvador. Thanks to these capacity-building initiatives and the far-reaching exposure and dissemination of the award-winning projects, subnational public administration has undergone a renaissance throughout the region. The echo of these innovative ideas has inspired replication and magnified their impact on the lives of communities and individuals.