An understanding of the concepts of proximity governments and their mechanisms, such as citizen participation, financial incentives for local governments, local coordination spaces or family accompaniment, are essential for social policy implementation at the local level.

Social policies implemented from a “proximity government” -concept referring to the role of local governments in formulating and providing social services- are intertwined both with the local reality and the broadest institutional contexts in which public policy instruments for attending to the population are defined.

Through the participation of public, private and civil society stakeholders, the local government acts as the public institution closest to the community and in greater proximity to its deficits and priorities, with the possibility to pose innovative solutions to the locality’s diverse realities. This is the central concept of a “proximity government”.

The “proximity government” concept can be characterized through some key policy features and strategies, such as participation mechanisms, territorial management funding incentives, creation of local coordination and family accompaniment spaces. Some countries have produced successful programs of this sort.

In order to build proximity governments that are both efficient and flexible in addressing territorial needs it is necessary to consider political and operational aspects drawn from the specific context and needs of each country and territory. A series of challenges must be overcome in this respect, such as coordination between different levels of government.