Ibero-American and Caribbean Forum on Best Practices

IBEROAMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN FORUM ON BEST PRACTICES
HUMAN SETTLEMENTS FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Activity Report: April, 1999

FORUM OBJECTIVES AND OUTREACH

Overall Objective

To contribute to the implementation of the Habitat Agenda by mobilising and strengthening the participation of civil society in policy-making for sustainable human settlement development.

Specifically, the Forum will

• Promote a deeper understanding and evaluation of Best Practices through their dissemination and transfers throughout the region, and the active participation of all actors and existing networks involved in sustainable development;

• Establish a framework for communication and co-ordination of programmes and activities underway in the region which have similar objectives as those of the Forum;

• Identify and support information, capacity-building and transfer initiatives for practices which promote a more sustainable future for human settlements;

• Identify and mobilize resources at the regional, national and local levels for transfer initiatives and assist promoters of Best Practices to mobilize and identify resources and procure funds;

• Collaborate in the development of the activities of the Best Practices and Local Leadership Programme (BLP) through the dissemination knowledge, expertise and experience derived from the identification, dissemination and analysis of Best Practices.

A. BACKGROUND

In accordance with the objectives mentioned above, the Forum decided to implement the following activities during 1998 summarized below and described in full in the Section D of the Final Document of the Cali Evaluation meeting.

A.1. PROPOSED ACTION PLAN FOR 1998

A.1.1 Support the 1998 Best Practices Award Process

Given the usefulness the Best Practices Database represents to the Forum as a learning and transfer tool, it was agreed that from January through April 1998, the Forum would dedicate its efforts to identify and collect submissions for the Dubai International Award for Best Practices for Improving the Living Environment.

A.1.2. Thematic Meetings

As of May 1998, thematic sub-regional meetings were planned to stimulate the transfer of best practice knowledge, expertise and experience among and between public and private institutions involved in sustainable human settlement development.

A.1.3 Communication Strategy

A media strategy was developed with the following activities:

• Establish a Forum Home Page for the dissemination of activities, experiences and transfers to the public and as a means improve communications between its members.
• Forge links with other related web-sites that can be used to disseminate information on Forum activities at the sub-regional level.
• Publish a Forum Bulletin to disseminate practices, transfers and case studies in both electronic and printed versions;
• Produce videos of experiences of interest to the general public for distribution through mass media.
• Edit a publication summarizing Forum activities during 1997.

A.1.4 Evaluation Meeting
Towards the end of 1998, a Forum Plenary Meeting would evaluate and analyze the actions taken during that year and to plan for future activities.

B. ACTIVITIES

Due to a lack of expected funds the Forum was faced with a substantial reduction in activities halfway through 1998. The majority of Forum partners however used their own resources, financial and human, to reach the goals established in Cali. Forum activities can be summarized in four categories:

• Documentation of practices in the region;
• Sub-regional Thematic Meetings to stimulate transfers;
• Implementation of a Communications Strategy
• Evaluation Meeting to improve and plan future action.

B.1. Documentation of Practices
B.1.1. Methodology

Four methods were involved in Forum efforts to identify new practices in order to provide inputs the Best Practices database via the Dubai Award Process:

B.1.1.a The United Nations System

The United Nations System, specifically the UNCHS Headquarters in Nairobi Kenya and its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (HABITAT-LAC), informed all governments in the region through official channels of the Dubai Award and solicited their support in the identification of new practices.

B.1.1.b The Secretariat ad Interim

Comprised of the Spanish Ministry of Development, the Brazilian Institute of Municipal Administration (IBAM) and HABITAT-LAC, the Secretariat informed all Forum Sub-regional Nodes about the procedures for the documentation of practices through the production, translation and distribution of key documents. The Secretariat also entered into direct contact with potential new practices and provided substantive inputs for their documentation, improvement and translation. The Secretariat coordinated the process in the region and evaluated all practices identified by the Nodes before forwarding them to Nairobi. In many cases this revision included the translation into English and the reformatting of practices into required format. After the Jury selected the Award winning practices, the Secretariat reinitiated the process of improving the documentation and translation of Latin American Best Practices up to the cut-off date for the production of the CD-ROM version of the Database. All sixty LAC practices from 1998 were reviewed a second time.

Post Submissions Deadline Improvement of documentation.

October 1998 – January 1999

Type of revision Type of Practice # updated

Self-review by submitters requested All top forty LAC (8) 0

Practices fully or partially translated Good Practices 3

Text redaction improvement Good/Best Practices 6

Technical format improvement Good/Best Practices 7

1996 Practices requested to update Best Practices (5) 1

Total Practices actually contacted (self review, text redaction, updated ’96) 18

Total Practices reviewed 65

Total Practices improved 17

*Percentage of reviewed practices improved post deadline: +25%

B.1.1.c Subregional Nodes

At the Cali meeting, each Node assumed the responsibility to identify new practices in their respective sub-regions and to help small municipalities and grassroots organizations to document and translate their practices. As with all Forum activities, parallel funding for these efforts was also agreed upon. However, financial cutbacks meant that activities also needed to be reduced. The bulk of the practices in the LAC region were identified through the efforts of the Nodes. In many cases Nodes completed their activities using their own resources helping deserving practices with their submission process. While results of the efforts of the sub-regional Nodes were uneven owing to their different capacities, the methods adopted by the Forum were quite successful.

Practices Identified per Subregional Node

Subregion Institution Number of Practices

Andino Group Fundación Habitat-Colombia 17
Brazil IBAM 25
Central America CERCA 11
Cono Sur El Ágora 15
Mexico/Spanish Caribbean CENVI 1
Non Spanish Caribbean UWI 5
Total 74

Countries represented by each Subregional Node:


Andino Group Brazil Central America Cono Sur Mexico / Non Spanish Spanish Caribbean Caribbean

Colombia Brazil Costa Rica Argentina Mexico Trinidad Tobago

Peru El Salvador Chile Cuba Haiti

Ecuador Nicaragua Paraguay Santo Domingo Grenada

Venezuela Honduras Uruguay Puerto Rico Jamaica

Bolivia Panama Dominican Republic Antigua

Guatemala Aruba

Belize Dominica

Barbados

Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Saint Lucia

B.1.1.d Subregional Meetings

The sub-regional meetings held during 1997 also generated a substantial number of practices, many of which were included in the Best Practices Database and analyzed during 1998. However it was determined at the 1998 year-end meeting in Bogota that this effort could be further improved as described in the following section on sub-regional meetings. During 1998, a bi-Nodal meeting was held in Florianopolis, Brazil which analyzed and stimulated transfers between some of the Practices previously identified in the region. This meeting identified nearly forty new practices.

B.1.2. Results Obtained

The Forum identified over eighty practices in fifteen countries, sixty of which were eventually included in the Best Practices Database. Documentation of seventeen of these practices was improved upon following the presentation of the Dubai Award. The Forum also managed to identify and document, in a simplified submission form, some forty new practices for the 2000 Awards. Upon finalizing the 2000 Submissions Guide, these practices were encouraged to translate their submissions into English, format them according to Award Guidelines and submit their experiences for the Dubai Award.

B.1.3. Lessons Learned

B.1.3.a. Updating the Database

The Forum recommends that the both the BLP and the Forum give special attention to updating submissions on the Database. During the process of identifying new practices in 1998, the Forum also sought to update the 1996 Practices; admittedly however, this goal was greatly overshadowed by the first. A special effort should be made at the regional level to maintain contacts with practices and to incorporate them into Forum activities. Furthermore, additional efforts should also be made in 1999 to contact, encourage and facilitate 1996 and 1998 practices to update their submissions.

In recognition of the importance of updated information to the usefulness of the database, the Forum offers the following observations to the BLP Steering Committee:

Given that the Database was not widely updated in the region, it would appear that the strategy of allowing practices to enter into the competition a second time though updating their information might not be enough in itself to encourage them to resubmit. Certain steps need be taken to increase a Practice's stake in updating their information:

1. Assure that participation in the competition a second time is fruitful for updated practices.

2. Keep practices updated as to BLP activities though regular contact such as updates, bulletins, emails and / or press releases.

3. Create an open Forum on the Internet for discussion, transfers and conferencing available to all Best Practices.

4. Provide each newly accepted and updated Practice with access to the database so that they may actively use it and thus, recognize the importance of its maintenance. This privilege could be conceded for a period of two years helping to ensure that practices update their information on a regular basis.

The Forum further suggests that a copy of the database be given to ALL practices accepted into the Database. This would not only provide an incentive for updates, it would also serve as additional impetus for first-time submissions and increase the number of potential transfers generated between practices.

B.1.3.b. Language

As mentioned in past reports, serious problems were caused by the existence of more then one Spanish version of the submission form in 1998. The forum has asked its participants to use only the Official form on their Internet Sites and other publications and to clearly indicate where the official form can be found.

B.1.3.c. Technology

In the LAC region, the computer installation of the reporting format proved to be very difficult for many participants, whether down-loading from the Internet or though submission diskettes. Inordinate amounts of time, energy and resources were spent by the sub-regional Nodes and the Secretariat to reformat practices before forwarding them to UNCHS. It would appear that an on-line submission facility would be more effective in the region.

THEMATIC MEETINGS

C.1. Florianopolis Conference

C.1.1. Background

In April of 1998 the Municipality of Florianopolis, Brazil, and the coordinators of the Second Annual Conference "Habitat Brasil", Sul 21, extended an invitation to HABITAT-LAC to organize an event during their Conference. HABITAT-LAC organised a bi-nodal meeting of the Forum of the Cono Sur and Brazil Nodes. This meeting, financed by the local organizers, was held in Florianopolis 23 –26 September of 1998 and convened representatives from both the public and private sector throughout the region to exchange practical solutions towards the sustainable development of cities. A wide array of participants attended, totaling some sixty people, representing all major partner groups (national and local governments, academia, NGOs and grass-roots organizations and international and regional financial institutions).

The goals of the meeting were:

• To build new relationships between key representatives from the region and to expand the Forum’s membership base,
• To give further recognition to those practices identified by the Forum in the region for the Dubai 1998 Award,
• To facilitate the transfer of experiences and build new relationships between the public and private sector,
• To identify potential practices for inclusion in the Best Practices Database for the year 2000,
• To exchange, analyze and document innovative responses at the local level to the following questions:

- The privatization of the public sector
- Municipal financial management
- Strategic plans for sustainable cities

C.1.2. Methodology

A three day meeting addressed the above mentioned points using the following methodology:

A background session on the BLP, the Dubai Award and the Forum was held for the public at large attending the "Habitat Brasil ‘98" Conference. This included a general presentation of the Best Practices and Local Leadership Programme, the Dubai Award and the Best Practices database. The presentations featured the Award-winning Best Practice from Brazil, Cearah Periferia. The session closed with the presentation, by the authors, of the five short-listed practices from the region which were included in the Top Forty practices sent by the TAC to the International Jury:

1998 BEST PRACTICES PRESENTED AT THE CONFERENCE

• "Doctors of Happiness" Sao Paulo, Brazil
• "Income Generation, Dignity and Citizenship", Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• "Citizen Action for Justic and Democracy", Santiago de Chile, Chile
• "The Cobocla Project", Riberão Claro, Brazil
• "The Interiorization Project of the Carlos Gomes Foundation", Belem, Brazil
The remaining two days were organised around three themes. Each theme was introduced by an expert followed by the presentation of four or five case studies. The session finished with an open debate on effective strategies identified and potential collaboration for transfers of know-how:
Agenda of Thematic Sessions

Urban Strategic Planning

Background Panelist, Jorge Wilheim, International Consultant

Case Studies:

• Rio Cidade, BRAZIL, Bernardo Horta, Executive Director, Strategic Plan of Rio de Janeiro
• Montevideo, URUGUAY, Eloy Rodriguez Aruajo, Municipal Planning Unit, Municipality of Montevideo
• Franja Costera, PARAGUAY, Gonzalo Garay, Project Director, Municipality of Asuncion
• "Projeto Chico Mendes", BRAZIL, Salomão Mattos Sobrinho, Municipality of Florianopolis, Brazil
• Repopulation of Historic Centre, CHILE, Pablo Trivelli, Santiago de Chile
• Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA, Jorge Anibal Iribarne, Secretariat of Urban Planning, City of Buenos Aires

Financial Management of the Municipality

Background Panelists

• Gabriel Aghon, CEPAL, Program of Fiscal Decentralization
• Allen Rosenbaum, Institute for Public Management, Florida International University, USA

Case Studies
• Participatory Roads: CHILE, Berta Belmar Ruiz, Under Secretary, Housing and Urbanism, Government of Chile.
• Economic Garbage Collection: ARGENTINA, Alfredo Gabriel Irgoín, Mayor of the Municipality of Lapida, Argentina
• Municipal Housing Fund: BRAZIL, Domingos Teodoro Azevedo Neto, Municipality of Sao Paulo
• School of Social Studies, CHILE, Alfredo Rodriguez, Director, SUR, Santiago de Chile

Privatization of Public Services

Background Panelist

Terence R. Lee, CEPAL, Division of the Environment and Development

Case Studies

• Water: ARGENTINA: Privatization of Aguas Argentinas, Gaston Urquiza - International Institute for Ecology and Development IIED-AL
• Transport: BRAZIL: Humanizing Public Transport Project, Ayton Camargo, Municipality of Sao Paulo
• Infrastructure, PARAGUAY: Public Services and the Private Sector, Arturo Herreros, Programme Officer, PNUD, Pedro Espínola, Program Coordinator, Supreme Court of Justice
• Communications: CHILE: Privatization of Telephone System of Chile, Oscar Guillermo Garreton, Ex-President, Telephone System of Chile

The meeting ended with two parallel debates among all participants:

FINAL DEBATES OF FLORIANOPOLIS MEETING

Debate Number One: Lessons Learned:

• Conclusion of Thematic Sessions
• Methods for Promoting Transfers among Practices.

Debate Number Two: Recommendations to Forum
• Incorporation of New Members into Forum
• Elaboration of Proposals for Forum’s Final Evaluatory Meeting 1998

C.1.3. Results/Lessons Learned

C.1.3.a. Recognition of Best Practices

The meeting resulted in considerable media attention and coverage of the five Best Practices from the region. Also one "transfer" was initiated between two very dissimilar practices, "Doctors of Happiness" and "Income Generation, Dignity and Citizenship". This transfer is being monitored by the Forum. Another formal relationship was also established between two practices from Chile reported during the meeting.

Example of a transfer between two LAC Best Practices

"Citizen Action for Justice and Democracy": Forja, Santiago de Chile, Chile

"Sustainable City of Tomé, Chile": Centro de Educación y Tecnología, Tomé, Chile

Upon being notified of their inclusion in the Best Practices Database, FORJA, the institution behind the project "Citizen Action for Justice and Democracy" initiated contact with another newly identified Best Practice; "Sustainable City of Tomé, Chile" of Centro de Educación y Tecnología (CET). Forja had previously been unaware of the other project's existence but soon discovered that the transfer of information and a new formalized work relationship could be beneficial to them both.

This relationship has resulted in the design of a new project involving both institutions. Called the Transition of a Sustainable City Model in the VIII Region of Chile – Bío Bío - the project makes use of the know-how and capacities of both institutions. The overall goal of the project is to sensitize and promote involvement of the national government in the formulation of legislation related to improve the living environment. The project analyzed ten municipalities from the region and outlined the following themes:

• Social, such as eradication of poverty
• Ecological, such as waste disposal
• Natural resources, such as the recuperation of parks and green areas
• Municipal administration, such as improving municipal regulations

The two institutions expect to receive the financial resources to begin work in 1999 from the regional government. The Forum will be monitoring developments in the transfer between these two institutions which not only have begun to collaborate on existing projects but have started to work together to institute a new project through combining resources and experience.
It was concluded that by giving recognition to practices at the local/regional level, the Forum will be able to stimulate the documentation of new practices, facilitate their transfer as well as mobilising initiatives to update their submissions.

C.1.3.b. Thematic Sessions

The inputs provided by thematic experts not only lent weight to the entire meeting bit also helped inspire transfers and build new relationships among institutions. They also provided new insights to possible transfers. The heterogeneity of the participants led to the incorporation of many new actors and new sectors of society in the Forum, such as Central Government and the private sector. The inclusion of high level officials increased the Forum's credibility.

C.1.3.c. Poster Session

As noted in section B.1.3.1.d., a Poster Session was organized by the Habitat Brasil ’98 Conference with substantive support provided by HABITAT-LAC. This special session resulted in the identification of many potential practices for Dubai 2000. Exposition space was made available to local projects using a simplified presentation format provided by the Forum. During a "Habitat Brasil ’98" preparatory meeting, a local commission made up of state and municipal officials, academics and NGOs was created to review all submissions. "Posters" of qualifying initiatives were exhibited throughout the five-day conference and each exhibitor was given a scheduled half-hour slot to present their project to the public. The form is translated and reproduced below:

Habitat Brasil ’98 POSTER SESSION

1. Name of Project:
2. Contact:
3. Where implemented:
4. Key dates:
5. 1000 word Narrative:

In your narrative, please refer to the following topics:
-OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES

-MOBILIZATION OF RESOURCES

-PROCESS

-RESULTS ACHIEVED

-SUSTAINABILITY

-LESSONS LEARNED

-TRANSFERABILITY

-PROBLEMS OVERCOME

The poster exhibition proved to be an effective means of involving the local community and government. It also proved to be an means of stimulating lively debates and interest in the Programme. This resulted in a very wide based participation of local development actors throughout the State of Santa Catarina. The ease of the reporting format and informality of the event also contributed to its success.

C.1.3.d. Future Activities

The broad-based support generated within the community through the Poster Session and the Forum Meeting earned HABITAT-LAC and the Forum a return trip to Florianopolis in 2000. This relationship has led to increasing both the size and scope of "Habitat Brasil 2000".

At the close of the meeting, the Mayor of Florianopolis invited HABTIAT-LAC and the Forum back to the city in the year 2000 to celebrate another Forum meeting. A region-wide LAC meeting that will coincide with the Submissions Deadline for the Dubai Award has been agreed upon. It is hoped that the conference will motivate many institutions to document their practices by the official deadline.

HABTIAT-LAC was also asked to present a project to the State Government of Santa Catarina for the establishment of a "Latin American and Caribbean Award for Best Practices". HABITAT-LAC has presented the organizers with a project involving six awards of US$ 10,000 each, a trophy and a certificate, as well as travel to the Awards Ceremony. This Award would use the same criteria and reporting format as BLP and DIABP and help generate further interest in the Dubai Awards in Latin America and the Caribbean. Furthermore, the Government of Santa Catarina is considering financial support for the Forum to cover the cost of identifying, documenting, translating and improving practices in the LAC region.

C COMMUNICATIONS

C.1. Methodology

The goals of Communications Strategy adopted by the Forum were:

C.1.1. Public Relations:

Inform the public regarding Forum’s Goals and activities via the mass media in order to generate further participation and interest in Best Practices.

C.1.2. Internal Communications

Establish a continuous flow of information, documentation, experiences and activities between the BLP, Secretariat, Nodes, Focal Points and participants to better coordinate activities and learn from other’s experiences.

C.1.3. Transfers

Establish a communications tool to facilitate the ongoing and continuous exchange and transfer of Best Practices.

C.2. Methodology

To following activities were implemented by the Forum:

C.2.1. Public relations

• Both the Secretariat and the Nodes informed the press regarding the Dubai Award both at the Awards launch to promote submissions and after its presentation by informing the winners from the region. The press was also notified about Forum Meetings and other activities. Press, radio and television coverage was provided for all these activities.

• Articles in technical publications of interest to municipalities, architects, urban planners and other professional associations were also submitted for publication. Furthermore, various articles were published in Forum’s member’s own bulletins and newsletters.

• During 1999, the Secretariat, comprised of the Ministry of Development of Spain, IBAM and HABITAT-LAC undertook the translation into Spanish and Portuguese of the Dubai Submissions Guide for the 2000 Awards to facilitate public distribution and participation at all levels for the next award process.

• A book compiling all the 1998 Ibero-American and Caribbean Best Practices is currently being produced by the Ministry of Development of Spain to publicize Forum activities and further stimulate transfers.

C.2.2. Internal Relations
The Secretariat kept the Nodes abreast of current developments with periodic email updates of Forum and BLP Activities as well as summarizing reports received from the sub-regional Nodes. The Nodes were requested to forward these on to other participants within their sub-regions. This activity was undertaken to keep all organisations informed of Forum activities and lessons learned.

C.2.3. Transfers

New transfer tools to be used by the Forum:

• Two videos have been produced by the Ministry of Development of Spain. One documents selected practices and the other describes the Forum's activities. Both these videos will be used as training tools in future meetings and distributed to the mass media for possible broadcast.

• The Best Practices Intranet will open up a powerful networking tool for pre and post thematic meeting preparation, ongoing communications and a means of facilitating transfers and the ongoing improvement of practices.

D. Year-End Evaluation Meeting

At the invitation of Fundación Habitat-Colombia, the Node for the Grupo Andino, the Secretariat, Nodes and other key members of the Forum met in Bogota, Colombia to assess actions taken during the year and to define a new Plan of Action for 1999. Twenty-five institutions were from nineteen countries participated in the three-day meeting. This meeting was held in parallel to the First International Cities Fair coordinated by the Fundación Habitat-Colombia.

D.1 Methodology

• Reflect on the lessons learned, achievements and problems experienced during the implementation of the 1998 Plan of Action.
• Formally define an internal structure for the Forum including Secretariat, sub-regional Nodes, National Focal Points, Thematic Focal Points and other active members including roles and responsibilities of each type of member.
• To offer the Nodes and other Forum participants the opportunity to learn first-hand from each other regarding the identification, analysis, documentation and improvement of Best Practices.
• Elaborate future activities and determine new roles the Forum might adopt in the region.
• Offer a forum for award-winning practices in the region to present their experiences to the Forum as well as the general public attending the First International Cities Fair.

D.2 Results
D.2.1 1999 Action Plan

Forum Activities: 1999

• Publish and distribute a Forum Bulletin, each Node would collaborate with the Secretariat in the production of one bulletin. Bulletins would be distribted throughout the region as well as posted on the Internet.
• One Case Study would be produced per Node on an selected practice identified in the subregion. All case studies would be compiled into a Forum Case Book for publication.
• Produce two videos, one featuring Forum activities during the year and another featuring the selected practices documented as case studies.
• Provide each Node with BLP defined methodologies for transfers.
• Hold Subregional Thematic meeting to promote the transfer of technologies and lessons learned between practices.

D.2.2. Forum Internal Structure
It was agreed at the 1998 year-end meeting that National Focal Points should be established to increase coverage and to enhance transfers. While many of the Forum members already serve as National Focal Points, this relationship needs to be formalized. The draft terms of reference for National Focal Points is provided in the Final Document of the 1998 Evaluation Meeting. Also called for in this document was the establishment of Thematic Focal Points to cover key thematic areas. A basic constitutional document for the Forum was also outlined during the Bogota Meeting which defined the roles and responsibilities of sub-regional Nodes as follows:

1. Serve as nexus between Secretariat and sub-region.
2. Collection and distribution centers for information.
3. Promote and carry out activities of mutual interest.
4. Facilitate communication within the sub-region.
5. Carry out Forum’s yearly program and activities.

It was generally agreed that National Focal Points be identified as soon as possible to carry out activities at the national level, as well as, to better incorporate national governments into Forum. Other Thematic Focal Points will be identified during 1999 and, upon reviewing 1999 activities, norms will be drawn up to define their role. The Forum recommended the following brief for National Focal points:
National Focal Points

National Focal Points should preferably:

• Be National Committees for Habitat or, in cases when National Committees are no longer functioning, represent institutions, which previously participated in these committees and are capable of revitalizing them.
• Be institutions or organizations working in themes related to Habitat
• Be Institutions working with national networks
• Be Institutions accustomed to working with and influencing the national government
• Have capacity to mobilize resources

Focal Points should carry out the following functions:
• Promote Forum objectives and goals nationally
• Coordinate, along with Nodes, Forum Action Plans and activities
• Contribute to the identification and transfer of Best Practices
• Identify other institutions with potential for participating actively in the Forum
• Generate resources to implement national Forum activities

National Focal Points should be:
• Connected to the Forum Network and Internet page
• Given access to the Best Practices Database
• Receive political support for related activities by the Forum and by Habitat
• Receive financial support according to the tripartite scheme employed by the Forum

Last but not least, the Forum has identified a method of work which could be transferred to other regions, that of leveraging the resources of planned and/or ongoing exhibitions and conferences to bring together selected best practices and partners. This method has proved to be very effective in furthering the outreach of the BLP and of the DIABP. It has provided opportunities for mobilizing new partners as well as establishing contacts for and debate on how to further facilitate transfers.