A team of six master's students from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) completed a four-month Capstone workshop focused on improving the revenue collection process for the Municipality of Santiago, Chile’s capital city.
Working remotely from New York, the students held weekly meetings with municipal officials to conduct a comprehensive diagnostic of the municipality’s business permit revenue system. Their objective: to deliver a practical roadmap of enhancements to increase efficiency and effectiveness in revenue collection. The team engaged with the Municipality’s legal, planning, finance, and IT departments, as well as with national agencies such as the Territorial Development Secretariat (SUBDERE) and the Internal Revenue Service (SII).
In March, the students traveled to Santiago to carry out field research, meet with stakeholders, observe inspection procedures in real time, and better understand the institutional culture and operational context.
The final roadmap, tailored to the timeline of Chile’s Municipal Revenue Calendar, included six prioritized “Quick Wins” for immediate implementation. These included improving revenue estimates, standardizing reporting criteria, segmenting payers by billing size, issuing early warnings for non-payment, integrating arrears into the inspection app, and developing a revenue database informed by inspector data.
The report also recommended forming a cross-functional task force within the Municipality to coordinate next steps and guide the implementation process. Medium- and long-term suggestions included applying predictive analytics, enhancing receivables management, and adopting new management tools—all requiring further investment in human capital and technology.
Andrew Quartuccio, a member of the Capstone team, noted that “the final report received high praise from the Chief of Staff to the Mayor and the Director of Administration and Finance, with many of its recommendations already in motion for the second semester of 2019.”
Santiago Mayor Felipe Alessandri expressed his gratitude for the collaboration, highlighting the students’ “sharp insights and perspectives” and calling the experience “a catalyst for internal discussions, new ideas, and change for good.” He added, “We hope this is the first of many future collaborations with SIPA.”
