Measurement and collaboration networks for advancing digital government in Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin American and Caribbean countries have made significant efforts for providing digital government services to their citizens, based on their diverse capacities and contexts, while simultaneously dealing with structural inequalities in their societies.mIn this context, strategies for monitoring digital government were developed by various types of institutions, with diverse coverage, dimensions, and purposes. These initiatives enable for assessing countries´ progress, challenges, and disparities. However, there are no agreed-upon measurement frameworks for measuring digital government in the region, which not only limits regional comparability but also affects the possibilities of implementing strategies based on regional cooperation. This roundtable session aims to discuss challenges and opportunities for advancing regionally comparable research and measurement to further improve digital government in Latin American and Caribbean countries. Discussions will, in turn, highlight the main actions needed to bridge the persistent barriers for providing and accessing digital government in the region. Considering the importance of greater regional collaboration for this purpose, the roundtable will also discuss potential initiatives for strengthening networks and for implementing working groups and regional initiatives for digital measurement.

Objectives for the participants

• Debate both progress achieved and current challenges for measuring digital government in Latin America and the Caribbean, including an overview of existing national measurement initiatives;
• Discuss the implications of the region’s lack of commonly agreed frameworks for monitoring digital government initiatives, as well as the opportunities that would stem from developing them;
• Share strategies to promote digital government measurement at the regional level, aligned with regional agendas, such as that promoted by the Gealc network (Red de gobierno electrónico de América Latina y el Caribe, the network of e-Government leaders of Latin America and the Caribbean);
• Discuss the role of collaborative networks in advancing digital government in the region, including challenges to overcome and steps towards the implementation of coordinated initiatives.