Agreement 089-SEDESOL-2025
Poder Ejecutivo
- Decree: 089-SEDESOL-2025
- Published: August 4, 2025
- Issuing body: Poder Ejecutivo
- Gazette: 36,907
- Category: Administrative
Summary
This agreement establishes a new computerized system (SIRBHO) to identify who receives social assistance in Honduras, based on mathematical analysis of economic data. It affects SEDESOL and beneficiaries of urban social programs, improving accuracy in selecting poor families to receive resources more fairly.
Considerations
Whereas the Constitution of the Republic of Honduras establishes in its article 59 that the human person is the supreme end of society and of the State and that all have the right to enjoy a dignified life, which implies the necessity of developing public policies oriented toward the reduction of poverty and the guarantee of social protection; likewise, the necessary provisions must be issued and actions executed to protect it and protect its assets.
Whereas the Constitution of the Republic in article 247 establishes that Secretaries of State are collaborators of the President of the Republic in the orientation, coordination, direction and supervision of the organs and entities of the national public administration in the area of their competence.
Whereas article 11 of Executive Decree PCM 05-2022 establishes the Creation of the Secretary of State in the Office of Social Development as responsible for instituting the social policies of a solidary, inclusive Honduras, without discrimination of any kind and free of violence.
Whereas subsection a) of Article 1 of Executive Decree PCM 019-2022 establishes it as the Governing entity of the Public Policies of Development and Social Protection of the population in situations of poverty and extreme poverty and subsection m) of the cited legal body establishes that within its functions is that of: Design and approve public policies, plans, strategies, programs and projects in matters of development and social protection.
Whereas Executive Decree PCM 019-2022 creates the System of Registries of Beneficiaries of Honduras (SIRBHO), with the purpose of identifying and selecting beneficiaries of social programs through scientific methodologies and official data of the country.
Whereas there exists the necessity of updating the models of beneficiary targeting based on monetary poverty, in order to improve precision in the identification of households in situations of vulnerability, guaranteeing efficiency and equity in the distribution of resources.
Whereas the evolution of socioeconomic indicators and advances in data analysis have permitted the development of more precise predictive models, highlighting the importance of incorporating methodologies based on machine learning and penalized regression.
Whereas the updated model of 2022 improves the identification of households in conditions of poverty and extreme poverty through the implementation of relevant variables and the optimization of algorithms, ensuring a more just selection based on technical evidence.
Whereas according to article 59 of the Constitution of the Republic "The human person is the supreme end of society and of the State. All have the obligation to respect and protect it".
Whereas the Constitution of the Republic in its article 117 indicates that the elderly deserve the special protection of the State.
Whereas the Constitution of the Republic in its Article 247 indicates that Secretaries of State are collaborators of the President of the Republic in the orientation, coordination, direction and supervision of the organs and entities of the National Public Administration in the area of their competence.
Whereas according to article 36 of the General Law of Public Administration 1. Common attributions and duties belong to the Secretaries of State, among others that of "[…] orienting, directing, coordinating, supervising and controlling the activities of their respective offices […], 5. Formulating, with respect to the matters of their competence, the projects of laws, regulations and other acts of the President of the Republic; 8. Issuing the Agreements and resolutions in the matters of their competence and those delegated to them by the President of the Republic".
Articles
Approve the use of the Model for the Identification and Selection of Beneficiaries for Social Projects and Programs based on the System of Registries of Beneficiaries of Honduras (SIRBHO), with the LASSO statistical methodology, as the official instrument for determining the eligibility of participants in social projects and programs executed by decentralized institutions of the State Secretariat in the Office of Social Development in the Urban domain, utilizing the most recent data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) and other official sources, having as the official formula of the statistical method:
Provide that the identification of beneficiaries be carried out utilizing the statistical methods specified in the LASSO model, as the principal tool for estimating the per capita income of households, incorporating updated sociodemographic and economic variables. The dependent variable of the urban model to be estimated is the natural logarithm of the household per capita income, which is explained through socioeconomic variables in the urban zone; to calculate the predicted per capita income by the model, it is obtained through the application of the exponent to the natural logarithm of per capita income as shown in the following formula.
Implement mechanisms for validation and periodic updating of the model, on the part of the Observatory of Social Development, guaranteeing that the methodology utilized reflects with precision the conditions of poverty in its distinct levels and social exclusion, permitting better targeting of public resources. Likewise, the protection of personal data shall be guaranteed in accordance with the principles of confidentiality, privacy, and transparency, in compliance with current national regulations and international standards ratified by the State of Honduras.
Approve the use of the Model for the Identification and Selection of Beneficiaries for Social Projects and Programs based on the System of Registries of Beneficiaries of Honduras (SIRBHO), with the LASSO statistical methodology, as the official instrument for determining the eligibility of participants in social projects and programs executed by decentralized institutions of the State Secretariat in the Office of Social Development in the Urban domain, utilizing the most recent data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) and other official sources, having as the official formula of the statistical method: argmin 𝛽𝛽𝛽𝛽̂ 0, 𝛽𝛽𝛽𝛽̂ ∑(𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 − 𝛽𝛽𝛽𝛽̂0 − 𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 𝛽𝛽𝛽𝛽̂)2 𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁 𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖=1 s.t. ∑|𝛽𝛽𝛽𝛽̂𝑗𝑗𝑗𝑗| ≤ t 𝐽𝐽𝐽𝐽 𝑗𝑗𝑗𝑗=1
Provide that the identification of beneficiaries be carried out utilizing the statistical methods specified in the LASSO model, as the principal tool for estimating the per capita income of households, incorporating updated sociodemographic and economic variables. The dependent variable of the urban model to be estimated is the natural logarithm of the household per capita income, which is explained through socioeconomic variables in the urban zone; to calculate the predicted per capita income by the model, it is obtained through the application of the exponent to the natural logarithm of per capita income as shown in the following formula. 𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦ℎ𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 ̂ = 𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦 ln (𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦ℎ𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔) (3)
Implement mechanisms for validation and periodic updating of the model, on the part of the Observatory of Social Development, guaranteeing that the methodology utilized reflects with precision the conditions of poverty in its distinct levels and social exclusion, permitting better targeting of public resources.
Approve the use of the Model for the Identification and Selection of Beneficiaries for Social Projects and Programs based on the System of Registries of Beneficiaries of Honduras (SIRBHO), with the LASSO statistical methodology, as the official instrument for determining the eligibility of participants in social projects and programs executed by decentralized institutions of the State Secretariat in the Office of Social Development in the Urban domain, utilizing the most recent data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) and other official sources, having as the official formula of the statistical method: argmin 𝛽𝛽𝛽𝛽̂ 0, 𝛽𝛽𝛽𝛽̂ ∑(𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 − 𝛽𝛽𝛽𝛽̂0 − 𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 𝛽𝛽𝛽𝛽̂)2 𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁 𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖=1 s.t. ∑|𝛽𝛽𝛽𝛽̂𝑗𝑗𝑗𝑗| ≤ t 𝐽𝐽𝐽𝐽 𝑗𝑗𝑗𝑗=1
Provide that the identification of beneficiaries be carried out utilizing the statistical methods specified in the LASSO model, as the principal tool for estimating the per capita income of households, incorporating updated sociodemographic and economic variables. The dependent variable of the urban model to be estimated is the natural logarithm of the household per capita income, which is explained through socioeconomic variables in the urban zone; to calculate the predicted per capita income by the model, it is obtained through the application of the exponent to the natural logarithm of per capita income as shown in the following formula. 𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦ℎ𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 ̂ = 𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦 ln (𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦ℎ𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔) (3)
Implement mechanisms for validation and periodic updating of the model, on the part of the Observatory of Social Development, guaranteeing that the methodology utilized reflects with precision the conditions of poverty in its distinct levels and social exclusion, permitting better targeting of public resources.
Instruct the decentralized institutions of the State Secretariat in the Office of Social Development and those responsible for the execution of social programs and projects to adopt the guidelines of the urban model, ensuring transparency, equity, and efficiency in the allocation of the different social deliverables.
The State Secretariat in the Office of Social Development shall be responsible for supervising the correct application of the model, its continuous updating, and the training of personnel responsible for its implementation, in coordination with the National Institute of Statistics (INE) and other competent entities.
Related laws
- Decree 4-2025 — This decree approves Honduras' 2025 budget of L430,907.8 million, distributed between central administration (L266,667.6 million) and decentralized administration (L164,240.3 million). It establishes how taxes will be collected, how public spending will be executed, and how public resources will be controlled, requiring all state institutions to comply with these provisions under civil, criminal, and administrative penalties. (Decree 4-2025, 2025)
- Decreto Legislativo — Presupuesto General de Ingresos y Egresos de la República para el Ejercicio Fiscal 2025 y Sus Disposiciones Generales — This 2025 budget decree for Honduras establishes the rules for public spending on salaries, contracts, and purchases. It defines salary increases, permitted contract types, maximum amounts for bidding, and transparency requirements for government purchases. It benefits public employees and ensures that money is used efficiently according to the law.
- Decreto Legislativo — Presupuesto General de Ingresos y Egresos de la República Ejercicio Fiscal 2025 — This decree establishes the State budget for 2025 and regulates how public institutions can hire consultants, manage projects, execute transfers, and administer resources. It affects all public employees, contractors, and beneficiaries of state programs, setting spending limits, prohibitions, and transparency obligations to ensure public money is used correctly.
- Decreto Legislativo — Presupuesto General de Ingresos y Egresos de la República, Ejercicio Fiscal 2025 - Disposiciones Generales — This decree approves Honduras' public budget for 2025 and regulates how public resources can be spent. It establishes rules on salaries, hiring of personnel, purchasing goods and services, and how public institutions must use available funds. It affects all public employees and entities that contract with the State.
- Decreto Legislativo No. 4-2025 — Presupuesto General de Ingresos y Egresos de la República y sus Disposiciones Generales, Ejercicio Fiscal 2025 (Decree 4-2025, 2025)