Panamas mayor seeks redemption through Colombian consultant

After 18 months in office, Panama’s beleaguered mayor, Bosco Ricardo Vallarino and his “honorary” local consultant are studying a plan to create a strategic plan for running the city.

The outlines of the plan will be found in a 59 page power point presentation, prepared by Jorge Melguizo, of Medellin, Colombia, who received a visit from Vallarino after he had struggled through 15 months of missteps, and scandals, and calls for his resignation.

Melguizo, an expert on municipal issues held consultations with Vallarion pointed out that there was no strategic plan for the man who won the mayoralty post after it was discovered he had American citizenship, which he did not disclose, and who trailed in the polls until allegations appeared that his opponent had received funds from ponzi artist David Murcia Guzman, now behind bars for 32 years.
The mayor then stumbled through scandals including the authorizing of a check for his wife to travel to Asia, his abortive Christmas villages creating scores of thousands of dollars of damage to the CInta Costera, a garbage crisis, direct no-bid contracts the firing of his staff who took the fall and recently questions about surgery for the mayor and his daughter by a doctor not registered in Panama. Calls for his resignation Have come at times from as high as the presidential palace and the leader of his own party.
Apart from the lack of a strategic plan the Colombian consultant also looked at areas of the municipality in which deficiencies were detected.

"The mayor does not have a public communication plan” he says, although the mayor has constantly rushed to TV and radio outlets, his former purview  to explain his problems.

Deficiencies also include the human resources area. According to the presentation, the Mayor does not have a management policy for the city’s human talent and there is no plan for ongoing training of staff.

Jose Blandon, a deputy and “honorary consultant” to the mayor, said that the shortcomings are historical and not just applied to this administration. Based on the document prepared by Melguizo a plan of action is being prepared.

Among the other recommendations are a computer modernization plan and training of all personnel required.
In addition he should develop a medium term cultural development plan identifying cultural and programs in the city and then encouraging them.