Member since 2019
Public infrastructure in context
The State of Jalisco, located in western Mexico, is one of the country’s most economically and culturally vibrant regions. With a population of over 8 million people and Guadalajara as its capital, Jalisco spans diverse geographic landscapes—from the Pacific coastline to the mountainous highlands. This diversity requires a robust and inclusive approach to infrastructure planning, which the state has prioritized in recent years through investments in transportation, education, water systems, and urban development.
Jalisco has made significant advances in public infrastructure, including the expansion of public transport systems such as the Mi Macro bus rapid transit network, the modernization of highways, and the construction of new hospitals and schools. The state has also emphasized sustainability, with efforts to integrate green infrastructure and climate resilience into project planning and implementation. These initiatives are designed to improve the quality of life across urban and rural areas, reduce regional disparities, and foster economic competitiveness.
In terms of Transparency and accountability, Jalisco has emerged as a national leader. The Institute of Transparency, Access to Public Information and Protection of Personal Data (ITEI) and the Mexican Chamber of the Construction Industry (CMIC) have played pivotal roles in promoting open infrastructure practices. Through capacity building, data publication, and engagement with the construction sector, they have strengthened public oversight and encouraged ethical practices in project execution.
An essential feature of Jalisco’s infrastructure governance model is the active participation of civil society. Citizens, academia, and non-governmental organizations are involved in monitoring public works, contributing to policy dialogues, and co-creating tools for infrastructure transparency. Social accountability mechanisms, including community audits and collaborative platforms, have helped ensure that projects reflect the real needs of communities and are implemented with greater efficiency and integrity.
This momentum is reinforced by the strong leadership of the Secretariat of Planning and Citizen Participation, headed by Cynthia Cantero Pacheco. Under her guidance, the state has renewed its commitment to Transparency and open government, integrating citizen voices into infrastructure planning and advancing the use of open data standards. Jalisco’s model is now seen as a regional reference for how inclusive governance, data-driven planning, and institutional collaboration can transform public infrastructure delivery.
How it all began
In November 2019, Jalisco, Mexico, announced its CoST membership, becoming the first member to join the initiative because of the CoST membership competition. A launch event was held in the official residence of Enrique Alfaro Ramírez, the Governor of the State of Jalisco, and was attended by stakeholders from across government, the private sector, and civil society alongside a significant media presence.
CoST Jalisco was initially hosted by the Institute of Transparency, Public Information and Protection of Personal Data of the State of Jalisco (ITEI), an autonomous body that ensured organisations receiving public funds are transparent in their actions and comply with principles of open data.
Currently, CoST Jalisco is hosted by the Secretary of Planning and Citizen Participation, with the recent commitment of 35 new municipalities of the State, the Water Company of Jalisco, and the Education Secretary of the State.
Data publication
CoST Jalisco launched its first infrastructure publication platform in 2023, developed in alignment with the CoST Infrastructure Data Standard (IDS) and supported by CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. This modern tool enabled greater access to infrastructure project data and was actively used by the municipalities of Guadalajara, Zapopan, and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, as well as by the State Secretariat of Infrastructure and Public Works (SIOP).
A particularly noteworthy milestone was achieved by the Municipality of Guadalajara, which enacted legislation requiring that all public works projects be published on the platform. This bold commitment has led to the disclosure of over 700 infrastructure projects, significantly strengthening Transparency and civic oversight in the city.
The platform is hosted and maintained by the Construction Chamber CMIC Jalisco, a key partner in the implementation of the CoST initiative in the state. As a representative body of the construction sector, CMIC has provided critical technical and institutional support to ensure the platform’s sustainability and usefulness.
In 2024, the Government of Jalisco’s platform became the first globally to publish validated data using the Open Contracting for Infrastructure Data Standard (OC4IDS). This achievement allows users to access open data on state-level infrastructure projects, enabling deeper analysis and public monitoring of investments.
Looking ahead to 2025, CoST Jalisco plans to expand participation by incorporating additional municipalities and state-level entities into the platform. This effort aims to ensure that all public works in Jalisco comply with CoST’s international standards, reinforcing the state’s leadership in infrastructure transparency and open government.
The Government of Jalisco’s platform includes the integration of 32 additional data points based on sustainable infrastructure criteria from CoST’s updated international standard. These new fields are now available for procuring entities to incorporate into their infrastructure project data publication, further enhancing the quality, relevance, and sustainability focus of the information made available to the public.
Social accountability in Jalisco
Cynthia Cantero (Secretary of planning and citizen participation) and Luis Gustavo Padilla (Rector CUCEA) are launching the Social Accountability Committee at Guadalajara University.
The social accountability process of CoST Jalisco has been successfully developed with the support of academic institutions represented in the Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG). In 2024, this process began in partnership with ITESO, a member of the MSG, which officially adopted the CoST social accountability exercise as a graduation option for two of its university students. This marked an important milestone in linking academic training with real-world transparency efforts in public infrastructure.
Following this initiative, other prominent institutions such as the University of Guadalajara, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Universidad Panamericana, and the Autonomous University of Guadalajara also established Social Accountability committees (Comités de Vigilancia de Obras) focused on auditing infrastructure projects carried out in the city of Guadalajara. These committees are composed of students and professors committed to promoting accountability in public investment.
This pilot experience has enabled the active involvement of students and faculty in producing reports on infrastructure projects. Their contributions have included citizen-centred recommendations, such as improving the way information is presented to the public, as well as technical observations on project design, execution, and long-term maintenance, based on contract analysis and field observations.
By engaging academic communities in infrastructure monitoring, this initiative strengthens public oversight while also cultivating the next generation of professionals in Transparency and public management. It provides a practical, real-world learning environment where students can apply critical thinking, technical knowledge, and civic values to contribute to public accountability.
Given its success and innovation, the CoST Jalisco social audit model has great potential to be replicated in other universities across Mexico and Latin America, offering a scalable approach to enhance citizen engagement and Transparency in infrastructure through education.
Social Accountability Committee in the Autonomous University of Guadalajara, with the MSG of CoST Jalisco.
Get in touch
CoST Jalisco Manager
Claudia Arteaga
jalisco@infrastructuretransparency.org
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