We invited Ana María Cáceres, one of the Top 5 GovTech Groundbreakers, to discuss her experience in leading the GovTech ecosystem, particularly in the context of smart cities, in the city of Medellín, Colombia.
📌 About Ana María Cáceres
Ana María currently holds the position of Undersecretary of Smart City at the Mayor's Office of Medellín, Colombia. Although she began her career as a lawyer, having graduated from the University of Medellín, she decided to take a new direction by bridging the gap between law and technology. She holds a Specialization in New Technologies, Innovation, and City Management, as well as a Master's degree in Government and Public Policies. Ana María's remarkable efforts have transformed Medellín into a pioneering city in the realm of public innovation procurement, overseeing the development of 11 ongoing solutions. She is the driving force behind MedeINN, the Public Innovation Laboratory of the City of Medellín, and has launched four open innovation calls resulting in the implementation of 11 technological solutions.
📌 How far along is Medellín in its progress toward becoming a smart city?
"I like to refer to it as 'Medellín Smart Territory' because a significant part of our area is rural, not just urban. Therefore, we prefer to call it 'smart territory.' This is a constant challenge. It's a race towards something that keeps getting further, but it allows us to become better every time."
"Our ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life for our citizens through various stages and endeavors. It's not just about technology, such as closing the digital divide. We also have issues like hunger, culture, leisure, citizen well-being, and education. These aspects should never be neglected and, in fact, they are one of the pillars of this entire initiative. Many people are involved in this effort, not just those in the department I lead. Everyone contributes to building a better city and improving the quality of life for its citizens."
📌 Can you tell us about a current project or initiative that is making a positive difference in the lives of residents within this smart region?
"It would be selfish to mention only one, but there are two topics that are currently crucial. First, we have a 'Smart Region Master Plan,' and I call it a region because Medellín is the core city, but around it, we have what we call the Aburrá Valley, consisting of 10 municipalities connected by a single mass transit system, which is the metro. This makes us think beyond Medellín's borders, beyond our city and territory, and think collectively. We now have this 'Smart Region Master Plan' that provides us with a strategic perspective and clear verticals to develop. It's a significant challenge because we've already laid the groundwork and partnerships, like with the University of Seoul, but now we need to turn this plan into reality. So, we dream, but how do we make these dreams a reality?"
"One project that I'm passionate about and love is the Public Innovation Lab. This project is close to my heart because it overcomes the typical challenges found in the public sector, especially legal barriers, which is an area I've focused on. It shows that innovation is possible in the public sector, and these innovations can be led by lawyers. Doing things differently from within can yield very different results for the city. I would go with the Public Innovation Lab."
📌 What role is this university playing in your initiatives?
"The University of Seoul supported us in developing this plan. They were the academics who conducted the region's diagnosis and, based on their experience, guided us, aligning our dreams. I read once that a smart city often ends up being a utopia, not in a negative sense but as a vision of a better future. They helped us make this vision a reality, translating it into a cross-cutting sustainability component and a transformation of public institutions. They also identified the verticals that the other 10 municipalities needed to develop to become smart territories, whether they were large, medium, or small cities. This collaboration was crucial in shaping our vision."
📌 Can you tell us more about the role the Public Innovation Lab plays in connecting all the pieces?
"Firstly, it's a living proof that things can be done differently in the public sector. I recently had a conversation with Sandra Sinde, one of the GovTech Groundbreakers from the previous edition, and we discussed that there are no longer legal barriers, only mental barriers. That really clicked for me. Contrasting this with Medellín's case, our initial responses were often "no" because, at that time, I was more on the advisory and technical side and not deeply involved in the legal aspect. So, when we proposed to innovate in the public sector and revolutionize procurement practices, the initial response was, "No, it's impossible to do it the way you want." Nonetheless, we, the team working on this, were stubborn and determined. We realized that legal experts should not be the barrier to public innovation but allies. We focused on doing things differently while maintaining legality and adhering to our constitution. So, we set out to create a methodology that was different from the traditional procurement model. At some point, it all comes together, but initially, it's different." "We began compiling what we call the 'Challenge Bank,' a collection of problems. We applied filters, and it resulted in challenges like "How to reduce the connectivity gap in the rural areas of Medellín?" and "How to improve regulated parking areas?" This led to the creation of the city's first smart parking zone. We also tackled issues related to monitoring green areas through technology and solid waste management. The power of the Public Innovation Lab lies in the fact that it combines our strategic innovation as an organization within the Medellín City Hall with real city problems. These are not just Medellín's problems; they are issues that affect cities worldwide, especially in this part of the world. These are topics that can be replicated, highlighting the importance of sharing experiences, especially among people who aim to make changes in different parts of the world. Medellín has over 2,600,000 inhabitants, but if we could do it here, why can't smaller municipalities facing the same challenges achieve similar results?"
📌 Could you share information about a couple of the technological solutions that have emerged from the calls initiated by the Public Innovation Lab, resulting in a total of about 11 solutions so far?
"There are two projects I'd like to highlight. The first one is related to addressing the digital divide in rural populations, specifically in the district of San Sebastián de Palmitas. It's the most remote area in the Medellín district. The rural areas in this district lacked connectivity. Through one of the challenges posed by the Public Innovation Lab, we managed to provide connectivity to all the rural areas of San Sebastián de Palmitas. Due to the low population density and the challenging topography of the area, it wasn't very attractive for telecommunications operators. This made it a beautiful project to work on."
"The other project posed one of our greatest challenges, not just in finding solutions but also in recruiting problem solvers. This challenge was about preventing teenage pregnancy and child sexual abuse. These are highly social challenges that required us to combine technology with solutions for real social problems."
"To address teenage pregnancy reduction, we created a chatbot with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), and it was the highest-rated solution among the students. This chatbot provided information about sexual and reproductive rights, along with recommendations. This project wasn't just about technology; we needed to provide pedagogical support, psychosocial support, and involvement from the Health Department. We had to approach this responsibly."
"For the prevention of child sexual abuse, we created a video game, akin to a metaverse, where children could immerse themselves in situations with potential risks to analyze how they would respond. It allowed us to assess their reactions and provide a diagnosis. The school's psychosocial department and the Health Department could then offer the necessary support and determine which programs to implement, whether intervention with families was required, or which actions should be taken in case of identified risk factors in these exercises."
📌 Juan Ignacio Gowland, one of the 10 individuals who have received an honorary mention from the GovTech Groundbreakers 2023, and Manager of Government Relations - South Cluster (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia) at BASF, asked: What public policies do you recommend to accelerate the digital talent transition in the countries of the region? Do you have any examples?
"I would first emphasize the importance of putting these topics on the public agenda. I'm always concerned about not just asking questions but also thinking about the actions we can take to place these topics on the public agenda. If our leaders and public managers don't understand the importance and, more importantly, the transformation potential of these topics across all sectors, it will be much harder to garner the necessary support. This support includes not only financial resources and human resources but also visibility."
"Additionally, when implementing technological solutions, we can inadvertently infringe upon digital citizens' rights without realizing the full scope of what this can entail. So, first and foremost, there needs to be an understanding, and within the realm of public policy, this would involve a process of socialization, what I like to call evangelization about these topics."
"At present, Medellín has a significant focus on mainstreaming science, technology, and innovation into all its projects. This also entails the need to rethink our model. Medellín, which was once known as Colombia's industrial capital, must transform its predominantly manufacturing-based economy into one based on knowledge. These are goals that we won't be able to achieve without that understanding. That's the first step. The rest involves addressing cross-cutting issues that science, technology, and innovation can affect."
📌 What recommendations would you give to a city looking to adopt GovTech solutions?
"First and foremost, believe it's possible. I always pay a lot of attention and try to think deeply about the human factor, which is sometimes overlooked or overshadowed by technology topics. The human factor is crucial. It can be a driving force for change or a hindrance to the transformations we aim for. It's essential to focus on the human factor, both within the team working with us and among the citizens. We must take good care of the people we work with and recognize that we owe our efforts to the citizens. Building an interdisciplinary team is essential."
"From a technical perspective, these endeavors will require various perspectives. They will require technical skills, functional expertise in each area we intend to address, and the support of a legal team that leans more towards saying "yes." Once again, I emphasize the human aspect. I always sought to blend technology with legal matters, with the things I'm passionate about. Someone once asked me, "What will you do to make a difference?" I believe that, in different aspects of my life, I constantly ask myself that question: "What will I do differently? I won't be a conventional lawyer; I'll go in this direction. I won't be a lawyer of 'no,' but we'll figure out how to do this." Falling in love with what you do, I think that's crucial."