MinTIC improves digital government initiatives with the support of Google Workspace and Xertica
Thanks to Google Workspace solutions, MinTIC has improved its internal processes and can provide Colombia’s local and regional authorities with agile and secure access to its services.
Ministerio de Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones de Colombia - MinTIC (Colombia’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies) is the agency responsible for designing, adopting, and promoting ICT-related policies, plans, programs, and projects.
Thanks to Google Workspace solutions, MinTIC has improved its internal processes and can provide Colombia’s local and regional authorities with agile and secure access to its services.
Google Workspace Results
Helps regional authorities to provide better services
Saved COP 14 billion in 2023
New email users grew 1,000%
+650 women certified in digital skills
Teaching processes enhanced for 5,500 educational institutions
+36,000 public officers from local and regional authorities leveraged benefits
With over 3,000 public workers, including officers and direct contractors, the Ministry enables Colombians to easily access ICTs and related benefits.
Through its public policies and digital services, the organization aims to strengthen the relationship between citizens and the Government, as well as to improve the services it offers.
To this end, the Ministry created the Connectivity Agenda program in 2010 to boost the digital transformation of municipal and local offices. This program initially covered creating domains and two free email addresses.
A stronger digital government
“MinTIC offers free-of-charge digital tools to enhance the digital skills of workers in public agencies across the country. These tools drive collaboration through Google Workspace, enabling institutions to work remotely from anywhere more efficiently and agilely.” - Alejandro Caballero Matiz, Head of Digital Citizen Services, MinTIC
Despite the increase in digital transformation initiatives, offices in local and regional authorities lacked efficient communication and collaboration tools, which hampered user interaction and efficiency in daily activities.
Work was also performed without guidelines in an isolated manner. The local and regional authorities had no resources or budget to roll out a digital policy that would help close the digital gap.
In this scenario, MinTIC identified the need to implement the use of IT platforms to increase user interaction, improve efficiencies, and provide digital communication channels between the Government and citizens.
Aiming to improve accessibility, security, ease-of-use, and costs, the Ministry chose Google Workspace as it was the perfect solution to meet its needs.
Tools and connectivity to improve services
“The fact that these public entities are now online, through their websites, has streamlined access to services and administrative procedures, which has driven citizen engagement, public office transparency, and access to information as a core right of Colombians.” - Diana Betty Clavijo Vargas, Contractor, MinTIC
After gradually adopting Google Workspace licenses since 2015, supported by partner Xertica, MinTIC has extended its digitization initiatives to public offices at several levels. Deploying solutions such as Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, and Meet has enabled authorities to access collaboration, communication, and management tools that boost productivity and security.
Moreover, Forms has allowed workers to obtain insights from citizens and internal users to make better decisions based on accurate data.
Following this digital strategy, named Mi Colombia Digital, agencies were able to create digital offices that were easy to manage and browse. These platforms featured built-in digital authentication and request, complaint, claim, and suggestion systems.
A technology that boosts efficiency, transparency, welfare, and engagement
“Adopting Google Workspace has not only helped organizations boost productivity, but it has also improved users’ experience with technology, which, in turn, has resulted in a higher ROI. This has increased MinTIC’s efficiency and empowered citizens with agile solutions.” - Ana Niño, Customer Success Director, Xertica
Deploying Google Workspace under MinTIC’s digital strategy has benefited over 8,800 institutions, with at least 36,000 email licenses. Today, over 22,000 public workers and citizens can improve their digital skills.
Adopting Google Workspace’s cloud apps resulted in about COP 14 billion in investment savings in 2023 for Colombia’s government entities, a process that took place through Colombia’s Government Procurement Online Store. That is because MinTIC no longer had to bear the costs associated with website development, maintenance, and support, or with the use of email accounts and collaboration tools. The Ministry acquired licenses at a discount and distributed them free of charge to several entities.
Email accounts played a key role in this process. MinTIC achieved 100% adoption among public workers, which represented a 1,000% increase in new users. Additionally, the adoption rate for communication solutions grew over 65% and over 52% for office and collaboration tools. In sum, this has enabled public officers to optimize and digitize key steps in the processes of local and regional authorities.
The adoption process was reinforced with workshops designed to help women improve their relationship with technology. Over 650 women, including public workers and teachers, improved their digital skills and their working and living conditions thanks to these certifications.
In this context, MinTIC considers that supporting educational institutions across the country to have their own electronic offices and meet the requirements to leverage the benefits of Google Workspace is critical. The Ministry aims to further expand digital training to as many people as possible, even in the early stages of their education.
Thus, the deployment of Google Workspace for Education solutions has already reached 5,500 educational institutions in Colombia through electronic offices, collaboration tools, and free virtual classrooms, which collectively help improve learning processes and support students in their careers or undertakings so that they can, ultimately, obtain better jobs.
A transformation journey
MinTIC plans to expand the use of Google Workspace to more local and regional authorities. This includes not only the use of new tools and services, but also the implementation of new initiatives to enhance communication, collaborative work, and the adoption of technology.
It will also extend its support to educational institutions across the country so that they can have their own electronic offices while leveraging the benefits of Google Workspace for Education solutions for students, teachers, and administrative employees.
This bolsters the digital transformation journey, allowing the Ministry to help more people pursue their studies and undertakings, obtain better jobs, and boost their digital culture.
