Engineers’ Professional Competencies for the Efficient Management of Public Budgets from the Perspective of Municipal Experts
1Universidad Ricardo Palma, Perú.
*Corresponding author: rodolfo.fernandez@urp.edu.pe
Abstract: Engineers’ professional competencies are predominant for the efficient management of public budgets from the perspective of municipal experts. Objective: To project, from the perspective of project and budget experts in a Peruvian municipality, the competencies civil engineers should develop to manage the public budget efficiently and the educational strategies that would make this possible. Methodology: Qualitative, exploratory, and propositional study. A semi-structured interview guide, reviewed by specialists, was designed for eight experts selected through purposive sampling, and the thematic analysis was organized into six categories. Based on documentary evidence and the guide’s axes, training proposals were projected for validation with the experts. Results: Three lines of proposals are projected: (1) training in costing, technical files, investment, and public procurement; (2) learning through real municipal cases and projects, with mentoring and internships; and (3) integrating risk management, ethics, and community communication. Two public building projects are also proposed as learning cases. Conclusions/Contributions: Low local investment execution and the small share of budgeting in civil engineering programs suggest linking curricula and municipalities. A replicable interview guide and a proposal matrix for validation are provided. Keywords: Public budget, professional competencies, education, engineering, projects.
Competencias profesionales de los ingenieros para la gestión eficiente de presupuestos públicos desde la perspectiva de expertos municipales
Resumen: Las competencias profesionales de los ingenieros son predominantes para la gestión eficiente de presupuestos públicos desde la perspectiva de expertos municipales. Objetivo: Proyectar, desde la perspectiva de expertos en proyectos y presupuestos de una municipalidad peruana, las competencias que debería desarrollar el ingeniero civil para gestionar con eficiencia el presupuesto público y las estrategias educativas que lo permitirían. Metodología: Estudio cualitativo, exploratorio y propositivo. Se diseñó una guía de entrevista semiestructurada, revisada por especialistas, para ocho expertos seleccionados por muestreo intencional, y se organizó el análisis temático en seis categorías. Con la evidencia documental y los ejes de la guía se proyectaron propuestas formativas para validar con los expertos. Resultados: Se proyectan tres líneas de propuesta: (1) formar en costos, expediente técnico, inversiones y contrataciones públicas; (2) aprender con casos y proyectos municipales reales, con mentoría y prácticas; y (3) integrar gestión de riesgos, ética y comunicación con la comunidad. Se plantean además dos proyectos de edificación pública como casos de aprendizaje. Conclusiones/Aportes: La baja ejecución de la inversión local y la escasa carga horaria de presupuestos en la formación de ingenieros civiles sugieren articular currículo y municipalidad. Se aporta una guía de entrevista replicable y una matriz de propuestas para su validación. Palabras clave: Presupuesto público, competencias profesionales, formación, ingeniería, proyectos.
Competências Profissionais dos Engenheiros para a Gestão Eficiente dos Orçamentos Públicos sob a Perspectiva de Especialistas Municipais
Resumo: As competências profissionais dos engenheiros são predominantes para a gestão eficiente dos orçamentos públicos sob a perspectiva de especialistas municipais. Objetivo: Projetar, a partir da perspectiva de especialistas em projetos e orçamentos de um município peruano, as competências que o engenheiro civil deveria desenvolver para gerir com eficiência o orçamento público e as estratégias educacionais que o permitiriam. Metodologia: Estudo qualitativo, exploratório e propositivo. Elaborou-se um roteiro de entrevista semiestruturada, revisado por especialistas, para oito especialistas selecionados por amostragem intencional, e organizou-se a análise temática em seis categorias. Com a evidência documental e os eixos do roteiro, projetaram-se propostas formativas para validação com os especialistas. Resultados: Projetam-se três linhas de proposta: (1) formar em custos, projeto técnico, investimentos e contratações públicas; (2) aprender com casos e projetos municipais reais, com mentoria e estágios; e (3) integrar gestão de riscos, ética e comunicação com a comunidade. Propõem-se também dois projetos de edificação pública como casos de aprendizagem. Conclusões/Contribuições: A baixa execução do investimento local e a pouca carga horária de orçamentos na formação de engenheiros civis sugerem articular currículo e município. Oferecem-se um roteiro de entrevista replicável e uma matriz de propostas para validação. Palavras-chave: Orçamento público, competências profissionais, formação, engenharia, projetos.
1. Introduction
Public budgets decide which works get built, but executing them requires professionals capable of costing, scheduling, and supervising. In Peru, this process is governed by the National Public Budget System (Poder Ejecutivo, 2018), participatory budgeting (Congreso de la República del Perú, 2003b), the Invierte.pe investment system (Poder Ejecutivo, 2016), and the General Public Procurement Law and its regulations (Congreso de la República del Perú, 2024; Poder Ejecutivo, 2025). Municipalities act within the framework of decentralization and their organic law (Congreso de la República del Perú, 2002, 2003a).
This framework organizes the budget cycle into successive phases, from multiyear programming to evaluation (Poder Ejecutivo, 2018); requires that investments go through multiyear programming and investment management (Poder Ejecutivo, 2016); and subjects purchases to public procurement rules (Congreso de la República del Perú, 2024; Poder Ejecutivo, 2025). Therefore, the civil engineer who joins a municipality must move at the same time among budget regulations, the investment system, and procurement. Since the organic law recognizes local governments as promoters of local development (Congreso de la República del Perú, 2003a), whoever manages municipal projects works at the intersection between the technical and the public.
The execution figures show that this intersection is difficult. Between 2010 and 2022, Peruvian local governments executed on average only 63 % of their investment budget, compared with 80 % for the national government (Ramos Vera et al., 2024). In 37 poor districts of Apurímac, 92 % of officials knew performance-based budgeting and 86 % applied it, while poverty fell from 52 % to 34 % between 2011 and 2015 (Palomino Flores et al., 2026). These data do not by themselves prove a causal relationship, but they suggest that the technical knowledge of those who execute spending is part of the discussion about its quality.
Citizen participation, by itself, is not enough either. In four districts of Chiclayo (n = 602), 60.3 % rejected the idea that participatory budgeting is the basis of good municipal decisions, although both variables were correlated (r = 0.783) (Urbina Cárdenas et al., 2021). According to the IDB, cited in a review, inefficiencies in public spending amount to 4.4 % of Latin American GDP (Huárac Quispe et al., 2022). Evidence from Ukraine also warns that deficient medium-term planning leaves local projects without funds (Khudolei et al., 2022). Taken together, these sources indicate that spending better depends as much on participation mechanisms as on the capacity to plan, cost, and schedule.
That capacity is formed, to a large extent, at the university. In an analysis of 16 civil engineering programs in Belém (Brazil), the eight in-person programs devoted on average 1.89 % of their course hours to budgeting, with a range from 0.97 % to 5.95 % (Maciel et al., 2022). If graduates must later cost works, prepare technical files, and supervise contracts, this proportion raises the question of what is taught in the classroom and what is learned only on the job. For building, the National Building Regulations set the minimum design and execution requirements (Ministerio de Vivienda, Construcción y Saneamiento, 2006). Knowing that regulation is necessary, but it is not equivalent to knowing how to manage a project’s budget, and that difference is what is of interest to explore.
The reviewed literature makes it possible to locate the problem; this study seeks to project which competencies, which public building or real estate projects, and which educational strategies would be proposed by experts who manage projects and budgets in a Peruvian municipality in order to train more competent engineers.
2. Methodology
A qualitative, exploratory, and propositional study was designed, with a projection from the educational field. It contemplates semi-structured interviews with eight experts in projects and budgets from a Peruvian municipality (E1 to E8), chosen by purposive sampling with two criteria: at least five years of experience and having supervised or hired young engineers. The qualitative approach is appropriate because the aim is to understand experiences, decisions, and criteria that execution indicators do not capture. The sample size responds to the exploratory purpose and not to that of generalizing. Position, years of experience, and type of municipality.
Instrument
The interview guide (Table 1) uses four techniques so that ideas emerge from the interviewee: real cases, budget constraint scenarios, retrospective visualization, and provocative statements. Real cases anchor the conversation in lived experiences. Scenarios (for example, a hypothetical reduction of the investment budget) force prioritization. Retrospective visualization invites the interviewee to imagine a year of better execution and to describe what was done differently. Provocative statements test assumptions and are treated as working hypotheses, not findings. Probes are used only if the idea does not emerge and are recorded as “induced,” so that what the expert contributed on their own can be distinguished from what they answered in response to a suggestion.
Table 1. Semi-structured interview guide (approx. 60 minutes)
| Block and duration | Guiding question | Probes (only if the idea does not emerge) | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0. Opening (5 min) | Tell me how you came to work in projects and budgets and which project you remember with the greatest pride. | What did you do differently? | Context and trust |
| 1. Real cases (10 min) | Think of a project that was executed well and another that was delayed or became more expensive. What happened in each, from programming to closing? | At what stage was time or money lost? What data or decision was missing? | Leaks and bottlenecks |
| 2. Budget optimization (15 min) | (a) If your investment budget dropped 20 % tomorrow, what would you do so as not to stop results? (b) If you could change three rules or practices without asking permission, which would you change to spend better? (c) Imagine that a year has passed and you executed 95 % with better works: what did you do differently? (d) What expense or habit is a waste that everyone accepts? | Technical files, standardization, pooled purchases, procurement calendar, maintenance, use of data, supervision | Optimization ideas |
| 3. Projects (10 min) | What project that does not exist today would change the population’s life the most and would be feasible? What real estate or public building projects could the municipality promote? How would you finance them and what risks do you see? | Municipal land, housing, facilities, markets, public spaces, partnerships with private parties | Project bank |
| 4. Training and employability (10 min) | When a recent graduate engineer arrives, what do they do well and what are they missing? Describe a case in which a young person did not know how to resolve something about budgeting or management. If you designed a course for final-year students, which eight topics would you teach and which would you remove? What leads you to hire or reject a young person? | Costs and budgets, progress valuations, technical file, public procurement, risks, software, community communication, ethics | Gaps and employability profile |
| 4b. Provocative statements (5 min) | They are read aloud and the interviewee is asked to confirm, qualify, or reject them: “whoever knows how to calculate structures already knows how to manage a project”; “budgeting is learned by working, not at the university”; “managing a public project and a real estate project is the same thing”; “more new works solve the problem.” | Where do you agree or not? What example do you have? | Test assumptions (working hypotheses, not findings) |
| 5. Closing (5 min) | What question did I not ask that I should have asked? If only one idea from what we discussed were applied, which one and why? | Rate each idea from 1 to 5 on impact and on feasibility | Prioritization |
Note. Probes are used only if the idea does not emerge spontaneously and are recorded as “induced.”
Procedure and analysis
The guide will be subjected to a pilot interview outside the sample and to review by expert judgment of specialists in public management and civil engineering; reporting the content validity index (for example, Aiken’s V) is recommended. The interviews will be recorded with informed consent, transcribed verbatim, and anonymized (E1 to E8). The analysis will be thematic, with open and axial coding by two independent researchers and agreement by consensus. The codebook (Table 2) was built from the guide’s blocks and will be refined with the transcripts.
Table 2. Codebook for the thematic analysis
| Category | Description | Origin (block) | Example of what is coded |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1. Leaks and bottlenecks | Stages, decisions, or lack of data that cause delays or cost overruns | 1 | Incomplete technical file that forces the work to be modified |
| C2. Optimization ideas | Proposals to spend better or execute more | 2 | Change of a rule or practice to improve execution |
| C3. Project proposals | Works, buildings, or real estate initiatives and their financing | 3 | Project on municipal land with a private partnership |
| C4. Training gaps | Knowledge and skills that graduates lack | 4a and 4b | Budgeting or procurement topic that the graduate does not master |
| C5. Employability profile | Competencies that determine hiring | 4 | Criterion for hiring or rejecting a young person |
| C6. Institutional barriers | Rules, processes, or culture that hinder ideas | 1 to 3 | Rule or procedure that prevents applying an improvement |
Note. The examples illustrate the coding criterion; they are not findings.
3. Results
The results are presented as projected proposals by category of the codebook. They are not yet empirical findings: each one is formulated as a hypothesis that the experts will confirm, qualify, or reject in the interviews. Table 4 summarizes the proposal matrix and its projected priority.
Budget optimization and associated competencies (C1 and C2). If local execution is 63 % (Ramos Vera et al., 2024), the probable leaks are located in programming, the technical file, and procurement. It is projected that the experts would ask for three competencies: preparing and reviewing complete technical files, costing and valuing works with sound judgment, and scheduling execution with a realistic procurement calendar. To develop them, it is proposed that the student solve, in the final year, a complete technical file for a real municipal project, with budget, schedule, and procurement plan.
Proposed projects as learning cases (C3). Two public building projects are projected as cases for the classroom: a community facility (for example, a market or a service center) on municipal land, and a building in partnership with the private sector. Both require compliance with the National Building Regulations (Ministerio de Vivienda, Construcción y Saneamiento, 2006) and passing through the investment system (Poder Ejecutivo, 2016), so they serve to integrate design, costs, financing, and risks. Their actual financing and risks will depend on what the experts say.
Training gaps and employability profile (C4 and C5). It is projected that the experts would ask for eight topics to be taught: costs and budgets, progress valuations, technical file, public investment and multiyear programming, public procurement, risk management, budgeting and scheduling software, and community communication with ethics. They would probably qualify the statement that whoever calculates structures already knows how to manage a project, because management also requires costing, contracting, and accountability. As an employability profile, it is projected that they would value someone who combines technical judgment, basic regulatory command, and the ability to work with the population.
Institutional barriers (C6). It is projected that the experts would point to staff turnover, the procedures of the investment and procurement systems, and the limited coordination with the university. In response, a formal university–municipality alliance is proposed to sustain internships, mentoring, and real projects on a continuous basis.
Table 3. Matrix of projected educational proposals from the perspective of municipal experts
| Category | Proposal | Description | Competency it develops | Educational strategy | Projected priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C2. Budget optimization | Technical file workshop | The student prepares a complete file for a real municipal project | Prepare and review technical files | Project-based learning | High |
| C2. Budget optimization | Applied costs and progress valuations | Work budget, unit price analysis, and progress valuations with cases | Cost and control the spending of the work | Real cases and software | High |
| C2. Budget optimization | Programming and procurement | Procurement calendar and schedule coordinated with regulations | Schedule execution and contract with sound judgment | Simulation of a procurement process | Medium |
| C3. Proposed project | Community facility on municipal land | Integrating case of design, costs, financing, and risks | Assess the feasibility of a public project | Final-year integrating case | Medium |
| C3. Proposed project | Building with a public–private partnership | Case to analyze roles, risks, and shared financing | Manage real estate projects with a public vision | Case study with guest experts | Medium |
| C4. Training gap | Public management course for engineers | Eight topics: budget, investment, procurement, risks, ethics | Move among budget regulations, investments, and purchasing | Elective course or module in the curriculum | High |
| C4. Training gap | Mentoring and internships at the municipality | Pre-professional internships with a tutor from the municipality | Learn on the job with supervision | University–municipality agreement | High |
| C4. Training gap | Communication and ethics with the community | Accountability and dialogue with the population | Communicate and act with integrity | Workshops and role-playing | Medium |
| C6. Institutional barrier | University–municipality alliance | Stable agreement for projects, internships, and curricular updating | Link training and practice | Joint monitoring committee | High |
Note. The priority is a projection by the authors, not a rating by the experts; it will be replaced by the mean impact and feasibility (1 to 5) given by the experts in block 5. The codes refer to Table 2.
4. Discussion
Execution and technical capacity. The average local execution of 63 % (Ramos Vera et al., 2024) offers a framework for interpreting the projected proposals. If there are deficiencies in technical files, programming, or supervision, they will affect execution, which is why the highest-priority proposals focus on those points. The improvement associated with performance-based budgeting in districts of Apurímac (Palomino Flores et al., 2026) suggests that knowledge of the tool is related to better indicators, although that study does not allow causality to be attributed, and neither does this one.
Participation and decisions. The results from Chiclayo (Urbina Cárdenas et al., 2021) show that participation is associated with municipal decisions, but that a good share of participants doubt that it is sufficient. For this reason, it is projected to include community communication in training, and the interviews will make it possible to contrast how the experts prioritize between citizen demand and technical judgment. The prevention of waste, which according to the IDB cited by Huárac Quispe et al. (2022) represents 4.4 % of Latin American GDP, reinforces the importance of deciding on technical as well as participatory criteria.
Medium-term planning. The warning by Khudolei et al. (2022) about deficient medium-term planning can be contrasted with multiyear investment programming (Poder Ejecutivo, 2016) and with multiyear budget programming (Poder Ejecutivo, 2018). It is projected that the student practice multiyear programming in the technical file workshop; the interviews should confirm whether the experts mention problems of continuity, maintenance, or project portfolios.
Training of the civil engineer. The 1.89 % of course hours devoted to budgeting found in Belém (Maciel et al., 2022) is a reference from another country, not a measure of Peru. For that reason, the main contribution of this study is what the experts would ask to be taught, and it is proposed to verify it by comparing the budgeting course hours of local programs with the topics the experts prioritize. The provocative statements will make it possible to test common assumptions, such as that whoever knows how to calculate structures already knows how to manage a project; it is expected that the experts will qualify them rather than confirm them, but this is a hypothesis.
Real estate projects and public building. Every building project must meet the minimum requirements of the National Building Regulations (Ministerio de Vivienda, Construcción y Saneamiento, 2006) and pass through the investment system and procurement rules (Congreso de la República del Perú, 2024; Poder Ejecutivo, 2016, 2025). The projected cases would require additional competencies in feasibility assessment, risk management, and negotiation with private parties, which the interviews should confirm or correct.
Limitations: The proposals presented are projections and not empirical findings, and they require validation with the interviews. Eight experts from a single municipality will allow the findings to be transferred with caution, not generalized. The ideas and ratings will correspond to the interviewees’ perception and not to measurements of budget execution.
5. Conclusions
First, the available evidence suggests that improving execution requires strengthening in the engineer the preparation of technical files, costing, and the scheduling of procurement, and this is the highest-priority line of proposal. Second, public building projects, such as a community facility on municipal land or a building in partnership with private parties, can serve as integrating learning cases. Third, for the curriculum, a public management module of eight topics, internships with mentoring, and a formal university–municipality alliance are projected. As a methodological contribution, the study offers a replicable guide that brings out the ideas of the experts themselves and a proposal matrix ready to validate. Future studies could apply it in other municipalities and contrast the results with execution indicators.
Referencias
Congreso de la República del Perú. (2002). Ley N.º 27783, Ley de Bases de la Descentralización. Diario Oficial El Peruano. https://www.leyes.congreso.gob.pe/Documentos/Leyes/27783.pdf
Congreso de la República del Perú. (2003a). Ley N.º 27972, Ley Orgánica de Municipalidades. Diario Oficial El Peruano. https://www.leyes.congreso.gob.pe/Documentos/Leyes/27972.pdf
Congreso de la República del Perú. (2003b). Ley N.º 28056, Ley Marco del Presupuesto Participativo. Diario Oficial El Peruano. https://www.leyes.congreso.gob.pe/Documentos/Leyes/28056.pdf
Congreso de la República del Perú. (2024). Ley N.º 32069, Ley General de Contrataciones Públicas. Diario Oficial El Peruano. https://www.gob.pe/institucion/oece/colecciones/45029-ley-n-32069-ley-general-de-contrataciones-publicas-y-su-reglamento
Huárac Quispe, Y., Díaz Mújica, M. C., & Cuba Mayuri, E. E. (2022). Presupuesto participativo y gestión del gasto público [Participatory budget and public expenditure management]. Revista de Ciencias Sociales (Ve), 28(Esp. 5), 279-286. https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=28071845023
Khudolei, V., Karpenko, O., Tarnovska, I., Biriukov, I., & Smyrnov, I. (2022). El papel de los presupuestos en el fortalecimiento de la base financiera de los gobiernos autónomos locales [The role of budgets in strengthening the financial base of local self-governments]. Cuestiones Políticas, 40(75), 164-179. https://doi.org/10.46398/cuestpol.4075.11
Maciel, N. F., Costa, M. C. B. da, Costa, J. B. da C., Rodrigues, A. G., & Neves, R. M. das. (2022). A engenharia de custos e os conteúdos orçamentários em cursos de engenharia civil: Análise dos cursos de engenharia civil na cidade de Belém/PA [Cost engineering and budget content in civil engineering courses: Analysis of civil engineering courses in the city of Belém/PA]. Research, Society and Development, 11(4), Artículo e29111427214. https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i4.27214
Ministerio de Vivienda, Construcción y Saneamiento. (2006). Decreto Supremo N.º 011-2006-VIVIENDA, que aprueba sesenta y seis (66) Normas Técnicas del Reglamento Nacional de Edificaciones. Diario Oficial El Peruano. https://www.gob.pe/vivienda
Palomino Flores, H., Cespedes Pichihua, L. S., & Huamanñahui Hilario, L. H. (2026). Influencia del presupuesto por resultados en la calidad del gasto público: El caso de los distritos pobres de Apurímac, Perú (2011-2015) [The influence of performance-based budgeting on the quality of public spending: The case of poor districts in Apurímac, Peru (2011-2015)]. Estudios de la Gestión, 19, 11-30. https://doi.org/10.32719/25506641.2026.19.1
Poder Ejecutivo. (2016). Decreto Legislativo N.º 1252, que crea el Sistema Nacional de Programación Multianual y Gestión de Inversiones y deroga la Ley N.º 27293, Ley del Sistema Nacional de Inversión Pública. Diario Oficial El Peruano. https://www.mef.gob.pe/es/inversion-publica-sp-21787/394-normativa/5189-sistema-nacional-de-programacion-multianual-y-gestion-de-inversiones-invierte-pe
Poder Ejecutivo. (2018). Decreto Legislativo N.º 1440, Decreto Legislativo del Sistema Nacional de Presupuesto Público. Diario Oficial El Peruano. https://www.minsa.gob.pe/presupuestales/doc2021/Normas/Decreto-Legislativo_1440.pdf
Poder Ejecutivo. (2025). Decreto Supremo N.º 009-2025-EF, que aprueba el Reglamento de la Ley N.º 32069, Ley General de Contrataciones Públicas. Diario Oficial El Peruano. https://www.gob.pe/institucion/oece/colecciones/45029-ley-n-32069-ley-general-de-contrataciones-publicas-y-su-reglamento
Ramos Vera, J. R., Lupa Quisocala, T., & Enríquez Tavera, M. T. (2024). Variación, distribución y ejecución del presupuesto del sector público en el Perú, por niveles de gobierno [Variation, distribution and execution of the public sector budget in Peru, by levels of government]. Revista de Ciencias Sociales, 30(4), 461-472. https://produccioncientifica.luz.edu.ve/index.php/rcs/article/download/43043/50442
Urbina Cárdenas, M. F., Chanduví Calderón, R. F., Zuloeta Salazar, J. F., Chapoñan Ramírez, E., & Balcázar Paiva, E. S. (2021). Presupuesto participativo por resultados y la toma de decisiones en municipalidades de Chiclayo [Participatory budgeting for results and decision-making in Chiclayo municipalities]. Revista de la Universidad del Zulia, 12(34), 185-205. https://doi.org/10.46925/rdluz.34.12
Author contributions:
Rodolfo Fernández Reyna (100%): conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, investigation, methodology, project administration, resources, validation, visualization, writing – original draft, review and editing.
Funding: The study was self-funded by the author. The application and review processes, publication, and all activities related to the processing and publication of the article are free of charge.
Statement of responsibility for the information: The author declares that the information is truthful and that he or she is fully responsible for the information shared in this article, and that the processing of the information has not influenced the results obtained.
Informed consent statement: The study was carried out in accordance with the Code of Ethics and good research practices.
Usability: This text is shared under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0). You may share, copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, as well as adapt, remix, transform and build upon it for any purpose, even commercially, provided that you comply with the attribution condition: you must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license and indicate whether changes have been made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.