The Government of the Republic of Panama through the National Authority for Government Innovation (AIG) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) are promoting the participation of various actors to carry out the “Digital Readiness Diagnosis” within the framework of the Digital Transformation Program and the 2020-2030 Digital Agenda. Panama is the fourth country in Latin America to implement the tool, joining countries such as Armenia, Guinea Bissau, and Samoa, among others.
The objective of this exercise is to involve various sectors of the country to have a comprehensive vision of the level of progress of digitization in five fundamental pillars: infrastructure, regulation, government, economy, and people. Entities from the government sector, private sector, academia and civil society have been invited to participate in the exercise.
The analysis, which aims to provide a holistic perspective of Panama’s digital readiness by identifying priorities, strengths and gaps, is carried out through a survey tool developed and implemented by the UNDP Global Office for Digital Transformation. The evaluation combines the survey results with external data; this includes integration with relevant national and global external data sources, such as the Facebook initiative Data for Goodthe World Bank and the intelligence unit of The Economist
UNDP works in more than 170 countries and territories, and in each of these contexts, digital is an emerging or ongoing priority; We work with local and national governments to harness the potential of digital transformation. This work ranges from deploying crucial digital infrastructure to shaping inclusive digitization: we are leading advanced digital explorations in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and exploring emerging technologies such as blockchainartificial intelligence and big data.
The survey results will be reviewed by the UNDP Office of Digital Transformation team in New York, who will present a Digital Readiness Score Report and aggregate scores on a wide range of indicators, including cybersecurity, data, electronic commerce, intellectual property, culture, ethical standards, social protection and digital skills, among others.
Based on the results, a report will be presented on Panama’s digital readiness score and aggregate scores on a wide range of indicators, including cybersecurity, data standards, e-commerce, intellectual property, culture, ethical standards, social protection and digital skills. among others.
“Emerging digital technologies and the opportunities they offer are an integral part of all aspects of our lives, especially since COVID19. We know that they have the potential to profoundly improve the lives and livelihoods of individuals, communities and countries, yet we have also seen how they can create new kinds of vulnerabilities and exclusion when left unchecked. That is why we are excited that the evaluation is a valuable contribution towards the inclusive digitization of Panama, an important pillar for each of the Sustainable Development Goals”, emphasized Maria del Carmen Sacasa, UNDP Resident Representative in Panama.
