INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY
GOVERNMENT DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Guatemala invests in public sector digital skills to accelerate Digital Transformation
Guatemala is investing in the digital skills of its public workforce as part of a nationwide strategy to modernise government services and improve the delivery of citizen services. The initiative supports the country’ s Digital Transformation Plan by equipping public officials with the technical knowledge and leadership capabilities needed to accelerate innovation across government.
A significant milestone has been reached with the graduation of the first cohort of the Public Management in the Digital Era programme. Delivered by the United Nations Development Programme( UNDP) in partnership with the National Institute of Public Administration( INAP), the initiative is designed to prepare government employees to lead Digital Transformation projects and implement practical solutions that improve public sector performance.
Across four training cohorts, more than 140 public servants from over 20 government institutions are expected to complete the programme. The curriculum combines strategic and technical subjects, including digital government, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data analytics, interoperability, public innovation and digital productivity. Participants are also encouraged to apply their learning to real operational challenges within their respective organisations.
The inaugural cohort comprised 33 public officials drawn from a range of government bodies, including the Secretariat of Planning and Programming of the Presidency, the Ministry of Public Finance, the National Civil Service Office, the National Commission against Corruption, the Private Secretariat of the Presidency and the Open and Electronic Government Commission.
Rather than focusing solely on classroom learning, the programme requires participants to develop projects that address specific public sector challenges through the use of digital technologies.
Proposed initiatives include streamlining pension services, expanding access to open government data to improve transparency, strengthening anticorruption capabilities, improving support for vulnerable communities and enhancing monitoring and evaluation systems to enable more evidencebased policymaking.
The training forms part of the wider Enabling Digital Transformation and Improving Public Service Delivery at Scale in Guatemala initiative. The programme is jointly implemented by UNDP, UNICEF and UNESCO, with financial support from the European Union through its Global Gateway initiative and the Joint SDG Fund.
By investing in the skills of public servants alongside new digital technologies, Guatemala is taking a people-first approach to government modernisation. The initiative recognises that successful Digital Transformation depends not only on deploying new platforms and digital services but also on developing leaders who can drive organisational change, encourage innovation and deliver measurable improvements for citizens.
As governments across Latin America continue to digitise public services, Guatemala’ s investment in workforce capability highlights the growing importance of building digital leadership alongside technology infrastructure. Strengthening institutional skills is expected to improve service delivery, increase transparency and create a more responsive, efficient and citizen-centred public administration. •
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