The decentralization process in the Americas has allowed the governments to transfer multiple responsibilities and competencies to the local level. As a consequence of this process, the region's municipalities have acquired great relevance and have become key players between the State and the citizens for the delivery of government services and local development efforts. However, most of the municipalities in the region need strengthening their capacities and resources to improve its management to assume these growing responsibilities.

In this context, the OAS and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA-ACDI) partnered to carry out the MuNet e-Government and Cadastre program, aimed at improving three key aspects of the municipal operations: transparency, efficiency and citizen participation.

The MuNet e-Government Program modernizes municipal management through local e-Government strategies. The program promotes the use of Information and Communication Technologies in local governments to strengthen institutional capacities that contribute to socioeconomic development and to improve democratic governance. Its overall aim is to augment government efficiency and transparency at the local level.

MuNet e-Government includes MuniRedes, a virtual working community that facilitates communication, collaboration, exchange of best practices between the MuNet teams, mayors, consultants, and all those involved in the process of implementation and following-up of the MuNet e-Government Program.

MuNet e-Government Program is born with the vision that all municipalities can accelerate their pace towards efficiency and transparency through the use of ICTs; and that an increase on the level of efficiency and transparency in municipal operations is the foundation that allows the progress of citizens in all municipalities.

On the other hand, MuNet Cadastre seeks to contribute to modernize cadastral and registry operations to improve property tax collection and territorial planning.

Also, within the framework of the MuNet Cadastre Project, the OAS has provided support in cadastre and property registry in municipalities throughout the region to contribute to strengthen capacities of human capital in local governments and to improve the technical capabilities by transferring of GIS, georeferencing, and cadastral system technologies.

Beyond the traditional “tax collection” vision or fiscal cadastre, the OAS has promoted efficiency and transparency with a municipal and national approach that emphasizes the importance of the multipurpose use of the cadastre for planning and development, but also as a mean to set the basis for sustainable economic development.

The MuNet Cadastre program the DGPE has supported municipalities such as Colón (Venezuela), Cojutepeque (El Salvador), Belén (Costa Rica), y Azogues (Ecuador), among others, and also has launched cadastre modernization initiatives in Cuenca, (Ecuador), and national initiatives in El Salvador, Guatemala and Bolivia.

The goal of the Program was to strengthen cadastre capacities in OAS Member States, along with its network of experts and public-private partnerships. The OAS, through the Cadastre Program, has also developed a set of methodological tools. The program has a comprehensive portfolio of online courses, hemispheric forums, and a "Toolkit" for cadastre modernization.