Administrative innovation and the provision of public services: an analysis of municipal management in Mexico

Abstract

This article analyzes administrative innovation as a determining variable in the efficiency of municipal public management in Mexico, addressing the obsolescence of local structures in the face of demographic growth and contemporary social demands. Using a mixed-methods approach with in-depth documentary analysis, the research processes microdata from the National Survey of Government Quality and Impact contrasting the 2019-2023 historical series with citizen satisfaction indicators consolidated as of the end of 2025. Through a benchmarking exercise with New Public Management models, the study identifies operational asymmetries within the Mexican environment, where territorial heterogeneity conditions the success of local agendas. Results suggest that innovation should not be interpreted as a tangential or merely technological element, but as an indispensable technical systematization mechanism for evidence-based decision-making. The study concludes that while the implementation of e-government has facilitated the provision of on-demand services, the management of permanent basic services, such as road infrastructure and water supply, remains stagnant due to a lack of resilient institutional processes and the absence of professionalized technical staff. Finally, the research proposes that technical professionalization and the strategic adaptation of international models are critical paths to mitigate administrative discretion, strengthen institutional memory, and reduce the profound regional disparities that fragment the quality of life across the national territory.