community relations | Innovations for Successful Societies

Alejandro Echeverri, former director of urban projects under Mayor Sergio Fajardo, talks about the strategic urban development projects that transformed the city of Medellín, Colombia. He discusses the urban development strategy he followed, which focused on putting the largest public investments in the poorest and most violent parts of the city. Echeverri explains the process through which the government worked with community leaders and created forums through which the community could weigh in on urban development projects, with the aim of giving them ownership of the process. He describes how public communication and a focus on local workers were key in building community support. He discusses some specific projects that were undertaken and explains how the needs for renewal were prioritized. Finally he touches on how the urban renewal programs helped bring tourism to Medellín and how working with private sector partners is important to ensure sustainability of those projects beyond individual political terms.

Transcript

Alejandro_Echeverri.pdf

J19_GT_MD_Echeverri_web_final.txt

Headshot

Alejandro_Echeverri.jpg

Profile

Alejandro Echeverri was the director general of the Urban Development Company from 2004-2005 and the director of urban projects for the mayor's office of Medellin, Colombia from 2005-2007 under Mayor Sergio Fajardo. He is an architect by training and was a professor of architecture at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Among his many architecture awards, his work with Mayor Fajardo in urban renewal won them both the Curry Stone Prize for Transformative Public Works from Architecture for Humanity in 2009. Their urban renewal projects have been praised not just for revitalizing poor neighborhoods but also for the quality and innovation of the architecture itself.

Full Audio File Location

Full Audio File Size

55MB

Full Audio Title

Alejandro Echeverri Interview

Building Strategic Capacity in the Police: Sierra Leone, 1998-2008

Read more about Building Strategic Capacity in the Police: Sierra Leone, 1998-2008

Type

Case Studies

Author

Jonathan (Yoni) Friedman

Keywords

strategic planning

strategic management

gender-based violence

internal management

UN policing

partnership boards

international support

Focus Area(s)

Critical Tasks

External accountability

Internal accountability

Recruitment

Training

Core Challenge

Principal-agent problem (delegation)

Country of Reform

Sierra Leone

Full Publication

Sierra Leone Police_1.pdf

Policy_Note_ID181.txt

Abstract

Sierra Leone’s police service had a reputation for abuse and corruption even before the 1991-2002 civil war that slashed its numbers by a third and all but destroyed its infrastructure. Taking office in 1996, President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah set a high priority on police reform to ensure stability for postwar reconstruction and economic development. The United Kingdom, acting through the Commonwealth, was the primary benefactor, providing equipment, trainers and even an inspector general to lead the service during the first years of reform. By 2008, the Sierra Leone police featured strong and capable senior leadership, improved capacity for criminal investigations, and a positive relationship with the Sierra Leonean public. Although concerns about the sustainability of these reforms and the feasibility of additional changes remained in 2008, the development of the Sierra Leone Police during the preceding decade was an example of successful post-conflict police reform in a West African state.

Jonathan Friedman wrote this policy note based on interviews by Arthur Boutellis in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in May 2008. Case published November 2011.

Associated Interview(s): Keith Biddle, Robert Bradley, Kadi Fakondo, Osman Gbla, Garry Horlacher, Adrian Horn, Sheka Mansaray