La Esperanza, Olintepeque, Quetzaltenango, Salcajá, San Juan Ostuncalco, San Mateo and Sibilia are seven municipalities that are currently looking for become smart territories. For this to happen, Julio Herrera, executive director of Red Citizen, points out that it is necessary to have all the procedures in a digital way and implement artificial intelligence in the decision -making processes.
According to María Zaghi, Capustec Marketer, the Smart Territories They are in process in Guatemala. Herrera mentions that, following a program called the Municipal Laboratory, they seek the optimization of municipalities of the High High Commonwealth to become intelligent territories.
Zaghi defined an intelligent territory as an area that uses technology to improve the quality of life of citizens; One of its characteristics is sustainability. Smart territories, according to Zaghi, can be any type of sector, from neighborhoods, streets, buildings and cities.
Herrera ensures that municipalities such as La Esperanza, Salcajá and Quetzaltenango, despite the challenges, are open to integrate technology to optimize and improve decision -making processes.
What does an intelligent municipality?
Herrera explained that an intelligent municipality is one that has all digital processes and that facilitates them in a friendly and simple way. “Whether they procedures or consultations, do not do cumbersome procedures or carry papers or download the document on the page and take it,” said Herrera, who added that most public services should be connected to a digital process.
On the other hand, Herrera mentioned that another characteristic is that the decision making of public officials can rely on mechanisms and technology to reduce times, increase transparency and reduce discretion. For this, Herrera exemplified it through the development of programs and better services through the use of artificial intelligence.
Likewise, the data is necessary. According to María Zaghi, marketing of the Campustec, all the information must reach a central point and, from there, connect to the entire municipality. Zaghi also highlighted waste management, safety and water supply as aspects that must be automated so that a municipality is considered intelligent.
For these types of processes, Herrera warned that around Q400 thousand per month should be invested. This, he explained, to hire personnel and develop the necessary tools, without counting on the infrastructure to provide the internet to the population.
Digital gap for closing
For Herrera, one of the most important challenges is to train public officials and continue with the development of solutions that generate a positive impact. “We still see a lot of fear and a lot of lag in the technology part; there is still fear or resistance to the change in processes,” said Herrera.
In addition, another challenge, according to Herrera, is the lack of access to digital devices to develop technology. The executive director of Red Citizen points out that infrastructure, training, digital literacy and artificial intelligence are tools whose purpose is to reach more spaces within a municipality.
In the issue of artificial intelligence, Herrera indicated that it can be a tool for reducing knowledge gaps. From this, he assured that certain challenges could be faced, such as the lack of knowledge in the use of technological tools.
“With artificial intelligence, in an appropriate and effective way, any themes can be known, you can learn and even perform processes in a better way,” said Herrera, who argued that AI can be very useful for citizens and officials.
Prototypes
According to Herrera, the first phase of the program is to train and sensitize the authorities about the use of innovative tools with which an intelligent, efficient and effective municipal work can be achieved, always oriented to the citizen. However, the implementation is pending, which constitutes the following phase after the formation of public officials.
“Our objective as a municipal laboratory, after training, is to be able to develop prototypes that can be implemented in each municipality,” said Herrera.
The executive director of Red Citizen mentioned that in some municipalities there is interest in developing tools that promote local tourism and economic development, which can be achieved from artificial intelligence.
Among the projects that can be promoted by artificial intelligence, according to Herrera, are the writing of letters, offices, memoranda and part of the evaluation of files in the area of procedures and licenses.
The next project, said Herrera, is the creation of a tool based on artificial intelligence that will seek to make visible business opportunities in the different regions of the High High Commonwealth. This, Herrera explained, will facilitate communication and support the development of consumption services that promote local economic development.
Other territories
María Zaghi points out that, within the country, there are other territories that could become intelligent. Such is the case of Ciudad Reformers, in Villa Nueva; Antigua Guatemala and Guatemala City, in addition to Camantulul, two of these without a municipality.
“The concept is the degree of technology that you have,” said Zaghi, who explained that places like Guatemala City, despite having tools such as intelligent traffic lights, cannot yet be considered an intelligent city.