Vilafranca del Penedès Ajuntament has been recognised by the Federació de Municipis de Catalunya (FMC), the association representing Catalan local authorities, for innovation in public policy. Vilafranca was one of 89 local governments recognised, and deputy mayor Jordi Junyent collected the award.

For Vilafranca residents, the recognition means the town council's public-service practices have been identified as examples that other councils can adapt in their own municipalities, with the stated aim of delivering better services to residents.

The recognition covers innovative local-government practices developed across a range of areas. The FMC said such initiatives can provide models for other municipalities to apply.

Programme records local-government solutions

The FMC's Banc de Bones Pràctiques, or Bank of Good Practices, is run with the Fundació Carles Pi i Sunyer, a foundation specialising in regional and local-government studies. It records local initiatives that have produced positive results in issues affecting municipalities and county councils.

Its 2022–2023 edition selected 100 practices. The programme received 216 submissions from 67 local bodies: 57 municipalities and 10 county councils. The call for that edition was held in January and February 2023 and invited every Catalan municipality with more than 5,000 residents, as well as all county councils.

  • The Bank of Good Practices has recorded almost 900 local-government experiences since 2010.
  • The 2022–2023 publication focused on transferable solutions to day-to-day local problems.
  • The FMC said the selected initiatives included growing use of new technology in public decision-making.

Albert Dalmau, the Generalitat's Minister of the Presidency, closed the recognition event with remarks on artificial intelligence, public values and the role of municipalities.

"The challenges are to achieve a society in which everyone can live with dignity and respect, and to support the country in having good infrastructure so it can continue moving forward. Municipalities are fundamental to that."

The FMC documentation describes the Bank of Good Practices as a resource for local public managers seeking solutions that have already been tested by other Catalan councils.

Primary sources: eb.girona.cat, govern.cat. Reported by fmc.cat, calafell.cat, eixdiari.cat, Ample24 SCCL, El 3 de Vuit.