Digital Transformation Strategy: The Bicentennial of Costa Rica 2018-2022 1. Background The President of the Republic of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado Quesada, is strongly committed to accelerating the nation’s development and creating the digital Costa Rica of the bicentennial. Therefore, acknowledging the opportunities posed by the widespread use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and worldwide interconnection, the Government seeks to bring about significant digital transformations in the institutions of the public sector and the society, with the aim of driving the socioeconomic development of the country, and guaranteeing a better quality of life for all inhabitants, in a more inclusive manner. people and country, guided by the basic principles of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Furthermore, it adheres to the commitments of the Digital Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean (eLAC 2020), including the development of digital infrastructure, the promotion of digital transformation and of digital economy, the regional digital market, the digital government, culture, inclusion and development of digital abilities, and the use of emerging technologies for sustainable development. In addition, the Government’s efforts are aligned with the Ibero-American Charter of Electronic Government, which promotes the use of ICTs to improve the information and services offered to citizens, to guide the Guaranteeing the development and wellbeing of the population effectiveness and efficiency of public administration, and to stop the through the opportunities brought by Industry 4.0 and the knowl- repeated submission by citizens and companies of documents with edge society are two of the main objectives of the Government of the information already on file in the public administration. Bicentennial. As a result of the mentioned efforts, important milestones have been As evidence of such commitment, and in order to foster the condi- achieved in terms of digital government. For example, digital signations for the development of the Digital Transformation Strategy: The tures are available and digital documents are legally recognized; the Bicentennial of Costa Rica, the Government issued Executive Decree Sole Digital Health Record [EDUS, in Spanish] was implemented; N°41248. This Decree establishes the creation of a High Level Com- and a one-stop foreign trade solution is used, among other relevant mission of the Digital Government of the Bicentennial that will act as solutions. These efforts have given Costa Rica a high e-government an advisory body for the development of the national strategy aimed development rating (0.7004), as well as a high public services proviat the implementation of the digital government public policy. In sion online rating (0.6736), placing Costa Rica among the 10 most addition, the Government issued Directive N°019, which sets out advanced countries in terms of digital government in America, guidelines for institutions of the public sector for the development of according to the results of the United Nations E-Government Survey 2018. the Digital Government of the Bicentennial. In addition to the instruments promoting progress in areas such as government digitalization, the National Science and Technology Plan raises the need to include a Digital Agenda that identifies a strategy to use ICTs to develop tools that promote a rapprochement between public institutions and their respective users, thereby facilitating communication and interactions, as well as the processing of services. This Digital Transformation Strategy: The Bicentennial of Costa Rica is a response to the demands of the National Science and Technology Plan, the National Development of Telecommunications Plan, and defines the actions to achieve the provisions and objectives of the National Development Plan. All actions taken in relation to the use of digital technologies and all efforts executed in terms of Digital Government have laid a solid foundation to develop the next stage, one that deepens and scales the use of digital services. Accordingly, new challenges arise in ensuring that the majority of the Costa Rican people and companies benefit from the consumption and provision of digital services and products, as well as in ensuring that they enhance national development and improve the quality of life of the inhabitants. Therefore, to define actions aimed at improving the efficiency of the government, to better serve the population, and to reach economic and social development it is necessary to build the required capabilAs a member of the international community, and as a regional ities in the State, society and companies by leveraging the tools model in Latin America, Costa Rica is pursuing the strategic use of provided by Industry 4.0 and the knowledge society. This Strategy technologies to accomplish the comprehensive transformation of its defines the actions to achieve these objectives. 04