Six students from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs’ (SIPA) Capstone program, advised by Professor Carol O’Cleireacain, spent a successful week on-site in Chile with their client, the Municipality of Santiago. Tasked with making recommendations to improve Santiago’s revenue collection process, the students met with leaders from the municipality and national government, including the Vice-Ministry for Regional Development (SUBDERE) and the Internal Revenue Service (SII).
In addition, they worked with tax inspectors to observe the city’s interaction with local businesses, and they engaged in dialogue with the municipality’s clients and stakeholders. Their research while in Santiago encompassed operational, behavioral, and technological solutions for the municipality to implement to improve its collection rates.
The trip to Santiago provided the Capstone team with the valuable insight needed for a successful final project delivery in May. At the end of the week, the team had the opportunity to meet with Felipe Alessandri, Mayor of Santiago, to report on their week’s research and preliminary recommendations.
