Digital transformation in the public sector in Latin America has been underway for more than twenty five years. It went through phases of electronic government, digital government and, more recently, smart government. But many countries are reaching a point where that model no longer scales. Interoperability is missing, regional coordination is missing, and above all, there is no common foundation to build trustworthy services.
In this episode of Sovra Podcast, Lucas Jolías speaks with Luis Papagni, computer engineer, former Undersecretary for Administrative Innovation of Argentina and one of the most respected experts in the region on state modernization. With a technical perspective grounded in his experience in Argentina, Colombia and multilateral organizations, Luis explains where Latin America stands today in terms of public sector innovation and where it needs to go next.
What you will hear
A clear historic overview, from the early days of electronic government in the nineties to the current challenges of smart government.
Why the region is moving forward unevenly, with political fragmentation, frequent changes in administration and difficulty sustaining long term policies.
The rise of the concept of public digital infrastructure and why it represents a strategic shift for countries.
The story of digital signatures as a key lesson, more than twenty years of isolated developments that now require country by country agreements to achieve interoperability.
Why this is the moment to define regional standards before each country consolidates incompatible solutions.
The role of decentralized identity in giving control back to citizens, reducing duplicate validations and improving privacy.
How the region can avoid repeating past mistakes by learning from Europe, India and the Caribbean, without copying models that do not fit Latin American realities.
Why digital transformation needs to stop being designed from the State inward and start from the real needs of citizens.
💬 “We do not need magic. We need to take what works elsewhere and adapt it to our history, our institutions and our culture.”
About the guest
Luis Papagni is one of the most recognized voices in Latin America when it comes to state modernization. His career combines public management, technical work and a regional perspective that is not very common. He has built teams and digital policies at different levels of government, both in Argentina and abroad, and today works with countries and international organizations on public sector transformation, digital identity and interoperability models.
Alongside his consulting work, he researches and writes actively about the challenges governments in the region face, from institutional fragmentation to the need for common standards for digital services. His approach starts from concrete experience, what has worked, what has not and how to build infrastructures that have real impact on people’s lives.
🎧 Listen to the full episode on YouTube