Oxford Insights
We present the Govtech City-level Framework 2022, the first instrument to benchmark the level of maturity of Govtech in cities across Iberoamerica. Our study shows a very diverse picture in terms of capabilities and the approach cities take to foster Govtech.
For decades, national and local governments have been focused on the transition from traditional in-person and analogue services to new digital procedures. Recently, this transition has experienced a change of pace, as the global COVID-19 pandemic made evident the complexity and scope of some of the challenges we face.
Facing these challenges requires a wholesale transformation of how the public sector operates, beyond merely digitalising existing government practices. Govtech represents a great opportunity for governments to address these challenges, particularly for local authorities. Many of the factors contributing to the state of Govtech are determined by governments and economic actors at the city level. For instance, local authorities play an important role in Govtech ecosystems by procuring technology solutions to improve public services. Furthermore, startups can be more competitive at the local level.
In light of the above, CAF Development Bank of Latin America and Oxford Insights present the first iteration of the Govtech City-level Framework 2022. This is the first study focused on exploring the level of Govtech maturity across cities in the Iberoamerican region. We aim to explore the collaboration between local authorities and Govtech companies in the region as well as to map the presence and impact of relevant local policies likely to have a positive impact on Govtech maturity. The Framework studies the state of Govtech in 31 Iberoamerican cities, by exploring 31 indicators across 3 pillars: Government, Procurement and Startups.
Overall the picture painted by our study is one of diversity. There are important differences between cities in terms of capacities and their approach to Govtech. The cities scoring below the average commonly have clear (but diverse) opportunities for improvement across our three pillars. Within the group that scores above average, there are 13 cities that are showing signs of clear commitment to Govtech development and are taking steps in the right direction. We welcome the opportunity to showcase their progress. Finally, two cities stand from the rest in terms of scores (Madrid and Barcelona), reflecting a solid policy framework whilst facilitating transparent procurement processes and fostering innovative SME ecosystems.
The Govtech City-level Framework 2022 will be published in two iterations. The present document is a shorter, summary version of the final report focused on:
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An introduction to the framework;
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a summary of our methodology;
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an overview of our key findings (including both regional trends and relevant developments across our three pillars);
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and a series of high-level recommendations that city governments can implement to unlock govtech’s full potential.
The short version is being released ahead of the full report which is currently being prepared for publication. The full report will additionally include Iberoamerican city-specific analysis that illustrate the performance of each city according to our framework. We will also present our methodology and research framework in more detail.
