The PROVIDA case Mexico

1
The PROVIDA case Mexico

• INVESTIGATE
• At the end of 2002, the Mexican Congress decided
  to allocate 600 million additional resources to
  HIV/AIDS and womens health, and thus modified
  the budget proposal.
• In 2003 a representative alarmed one NGO about an
  apparent reallocation within the 600 million.
• 6 NGOs came together to investigate and document
  what had happened. During the next 3 years the
  coalition followed and identified each step that
  took place in the irregular allocation and use of
  money (30 million).
• The President of the Budget Committee had given
  instructions to the Ministry of Health regarding
  the additional 600 million, at the same time
  taking away 30 million and attaching them to a
  new concept Womens Health Centers.
• Womens Health Centers was the official name
  for a program run by an ultraconservative NGO
  called Provida (Congress cannot give money to
  private organizations).
• Despite this, the Ministry of Health disbursed
  the money.

2
ANALYSE AND DECODE

• All irregularities of the process, involving
  Congress, the MoH, and Provida, were documented
• This fact-finding mission led the coalition to
  obtain and revise every single invoice that
  Provida handed over to the MoH, for the 30
  million spent in 2003.
• The irregularities found were shocking, and
  applied to 90 of the funds
• Purchase of highly overprized medical equipment
  and public campaigns (some of these campaigns
  contradicted the public health campaigns of the
  government).
• Purchase of luxury pens, clothes and even
  underwear
• Fiscal and administrative irregularities
• Payments to providers who share the same
  financial information and address as Provida.
• The coalition also found out that another 30
  million was earmarked for disbursement to Provida
  in 2004.

3

• CREATE AND MOBILISE
• The coalition convened a meeting with NGOs to
  share the nature of the findings within a week
  they were able to get more than 700 groups to
  support a citizens demand for transparency
  (eventually more than 2000).
• Government officials were given the chance to
  meet and discuss the findings before being
  released (they didnt take it)
• The coalition negotiated front page coverage in
  the main newspapers, radio and TV news programs
  for the day of release
• No funds CDs with a ppt presentation with key
  elements of the case, and illustrating each of
  them with official documents. As a result, every
  reporter had access to the official documents, to
  illustrate and build up the case.
• Opinion leaders and high-profile weekly political
  discussion shows engaged the topic.
• The case remained in the news over two months.

4
(No Transcript)
5
(No Transcript)
6
RESULTS

• The campaign was a success
• MoH immediately suspended further disbursements
• MoH conducted its own official audit, requesting
  the devolution of the 30 million.
• Internal comptroller imposed a fine of 17 million
  on the legal representative of Provida, and
  banned him from receiving public funds or holding
  public office.
• External comptroller started a judicial process
  against Providas representative.
• MoH regulated and made transparent their support
  to NGOs
• However, the coalition was unable to achieve
  corrective measures in Congress, regarding the
  discussion and approval process of the budget, in
  order to avoid similar stories to happen again.