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Digital platforms hold a central position in today's world economy and are said to offer a great potential for the economies and societies in the global South. Yet, to date, the scholarly literature on digital platforms has largely concentrated on business while their developmental implications remain understudied. In part, this is because digital platforms are a challenging research object due to their lack of conceptual definition, their spread across different regions and industries, and their intertwined nature with institutions, actors and digital technologies. The purpose of this article is to contribute to the ongoing debate in information systems and ICT4D research to understand what digital platforms mean for development. To do so, we first define what digital platforms are and differentiate between transaction and innovation platforms, and explain their key characteristics in terms of purpose, research foundations, material properties and business models. We add the socio-technical context digital platforms operate and the linkages to developmental outcomes. We then conduct an extensive review to explore what current areas, developmental goals, tensions and issues emerge in the literature on platforms and development and identify relevant gaps in our knowledge. We later elaborate on six research questions to advance the studies on digital platforms for development: on indigenous innovation, digital platforms and institutions, on exacerbation of inequalities, on alternative forms of value, on the dark side of platforms and on the applicability of the platform typology for development.

Este capítulo se centra en el desarrollo de una comprensión básica de los datos y cómo estos afectan diferentes aspectos de la sociedad. Esto implica el conocimiento de cómo están estructurados, las políticas detrás de esto y las implicaciones en materia de transparencia. Entendemos los datos como un conjunto de valores de variables cualitativas o cuantitativas sobre una o más personas u objetos. Se transforma en información cuando los datos se crean, extraen, elaboran y utilizan con objetivos preestablecidos. El sistema de información, compuesto por datos de igual o diferente forma (el conjunto de datos se define como un “dataset”), se transforma en conocimiento cuando se interpreta a través de herramientas, aplicaciones, métodos, indicadores, etc. La primera unidad de este módulo presenta una descripción general de los datos e introduce los conceptos de datos abiertos, mostrando diferentes elementos tecnopolíticos de su estructura, incluidos los principios y estándares para su publicación. La segunda unidad presenta una introducción a la ciencia abierta y los datos científicos abiertos y, además, los principios para la gestión de datos científicos. Finalmente, la tercera unidad demuestra la importancia de fomentar la innovación con datos abiertos para promover la creación de modelos de negocio sostenibles. &nbsp

This chapter is focused on developing a basic understanding of data and how it permeates different aspects of society. This involves knowledge of how it is structured, the politics behind this and implications regarding transparency. We understand data as a set of values of qualitative or quantitative variables about one or more persons or objects. It is transformed into information when data is created, extracted, elaborated and used with pre-established objectives. The information system, made up of data of the same or different form (the data set is defined as a “dataset”), is transformed into knowledge when it is interpreted through tools, applications, methods, indicators, etc. The first unit in this module presents an overview of data and introduces the concepts of open data, showcasing different techno-political elements of its structure including principles and standards for publication. The second unit presents an introduction to open science and open science data, and furthermore, principles for scientific data management. Finally, the third unit showcases the importance of fostering innovation with open data to promote the creation of sustainable business models. &nbsp

Civil society and governments around the world have recognized the potential develop-mental benefits that data released in open format could bring to the Global South. This open data, released in digital format, publicly available for anyone to use— promise to contribute to global development goals, such as economic growth, job creation, social and economic inclusion, and access to public services such as healthcare. This chapter draws from empircial evidence in health and the knowledge commons framework to understand the connection between making the data available, sharing it, and fostering the actual uptake of open data to solve developmental problems.

Civil society and governments around the world have recognized the potential developmental benefits that data released in open format could bring to the Global South. This open data, released in digital format, publicly available for anyone to use—promise to contribute to global development goals, such as economic growth, job creation, social and economic inclusion, and access to public services such as healthcare. Although emergent, there is growing evidence that in the right circumstances, open data could contribute to these goals (see Verhulst and Young 2016, as well as chapter 10 in this volume). Despite the potential, there is also a body of literature suggesting that most open data initiatives are not having the desired impact, particularly in the Global South, for a variety of reasons. These include poor-quality or incomplete data, data in hard-to-use formats, and a mismatch between the data that are published and the data that are actually needed (World Wide Web Foundation 2017). Thus, it is becoming paramount to understand how to improve the connection between making the data available, sharing it, and fostering the actual uptake of open data to solve developmental problems. Recent evidence has shown that the governance relationship is an important factor in this equation. For example, in a review of twenty-three digital monitoring platforms of public services, Peixoto and Fox (2016) show that the existence of institutional arrangements increases the use and responsiveness of these initiatives. While valuable, these studies show broad patterns of the overall picture. In this chapter, we aim to delve into these patterns in detail.

Civic technology applications for citizen monitoring have seen a global boom, partly facilitated by increased access to new digital technologies. This report presents the results of an in-depth study of the Por Mi Barrio initiative, its replications, evolution and results over time in order to derive useful lessons for the Latin American region.

El entusiasmo por los beneficios económicos y sociales que conlleva la utilización de datos en formato abierto, los llamados datos abiertos uopen data, ha llegado para quedarse. En los últimos cinco años, Gobiernos de todo el mundo han incorporado progresivamente, una agenda de gobierno abierto, siguiendo a países como Reino Unido y Estados Unidos, los primeros en implementarla. América Latina no es la ex- cepción. México, Brasil y Uruguay se encuentran entre los veinte primeros países del Barómetro de Datos Abiertos 2015 (2015 Open Data Barometer), unrankingmundial liderado por la World Wide Web Foundation, que califica a los países según su nivel de publicación de datos gubernamentales clave, su disposición para sacar el máximo provecho de los datos abiertos y las pruebas del impacto generado por los mismos. Colombia, por su parte, ocupó el cuarto lugar en el Índice de Datos Abiertos en 2015, una encuesta coordinada por la Open Knowledge Foundation que mide el estado de los datos de gobierno abierto en todo el mundo.

The excitement about the economic and social benefits of using data released in open format - so called open data - is here to stay. In the last five years, governments around the world have increasingly embraced the open government data agenda, following lead implementers such as the UK and the USA. Latin America is no exception. Mexico, Brazil and Uruguay are among the top 20 countries of the 2015Open Data Barometer, a global ranking led by the World Wide Web Founda- tion that assess states according to their publication of key government datasets, readiness to benefit from open data and evidence of its impact. Colombia, in turn, was ranked fourth in theOpen Data Indexin 2015 - a survey coordinated by the Open Knowledge Foundation that measures the state of open government data around the world.

Castellano Existe un creciente entusiasmo por los posibles beneficios económicos y sociales de la utilización de datos abiertos en las ciudades de América Latina. Este reporte analiza el desarrollo de tres proyectos de datos abiertos de tres ciudades de América Latina: Buenos Aires, Ciudad de México y Montevideo, ciudades con estructuras innovadoras, que han logrado cierto nivel de implementación de sus iniciativas de datos abiertos. En particular, el reporte estudia de qué manera diferentes actores interactúan para generar valor con datos abiertos, es decir, los procesos de cocreación con datos abiertos. Esta investigación reporta hallazgos basados en evidencia, que fueron recopilados a lo largo de seis meses. Los resultados revelan que en los tres casos una combinación de liderazgo, recursos y alianzas claves entre gobiernos, asociaciones civiles, grupos y ciudadanos, son los principales mecanismos para la cocreación con datos abiertos en las ciudades. A la vez, los casos muestran diferencias en los niveles de implementación, colaboración y usos de los datos abiertos, con consecuencias para su desarrollo futuro. En vistas de los aportes, el informe ofrece una serie de retos y recomendaciones para el desarrollo de proyectos de datos abiertos en ciudades de la región. English There is increasing excitement about the potential economic and social benefits of using newly released public and private data in open format. In this piece, I study how open data projects unfold in three cities in Latin America, a region that has been moving comparatively quickly in embracing open data initiatives. To do so, this paper report findings from an exploratory, in-depth study of three cities of Latin America that have pioneered and already established open data projects: Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Montevideo. The three cases have been selected because they either entail innovative structures, or have achieved certain maturity levels in their deployment or uses of open data. The sources of evidence, in turn, have been collected and analysed over 6 month. The findings reveal that in all three, a combination of leadership, resources and key partnerships between governments, civil associations, groups and citizens, provide the sources for co-creating practices in the cities. The cases show differences in levels of development and uses of open data, with consequences on their future development. In light of the findings, the report offers a series of critical challenges and recommendations for developing open data projects in cities.

This paper introduces the concept of modularity in financial services, discusses how new value chains are created and addresses emerging opportunities for innovative business models in the digital economy. We argue that innovation occurred in the banking sector despite the lagging adoption of new operational practices but due to technology drive for new ways to provide services. Banking innovation is commonly a matter of case facilitation vs. lock-in, in which the systemic effects of balancing delay vs. fast progress requires business model choices. In the banking sector, where there is little power stability among stakeholders, asymmetrical periods of dynamism are triggered by the modernization of the systems [13]. The main argument of this paper is that we can use models of modularity and network integration to improve our understanding of sustainable emerging banking practices. This is fundamental when establishing the potential contribution of this sector to digital economy models.

This paper introduces the concept of modularity in financial services, discusses how new value chains are created and addresses emerging opportunities for innovative business models in the digital economy. We argue that innovation occurred in the banking sector despite the lagging adoption of new operational practices but due to technology drive for new ways to provide services. Banking innovation is commonly a matter of case facilitation vs. lock-in, in which the systemic effects of balancing delay vs. fast progress requires business model choices. In the banking sector, where there is little power stability among stakeholders, asymmetrical periods of dynamism are triggered by the modernization of the systems [13]. The main argument of this paper is that we can use models of modularity and network integration to improve our understanding of sustainable emerging banking practices. This is fundamental when establishing the potential contribution of this sector to digital economy models.

New information and communication technologies (ICTs) promise an era of remarkable and unprecedented change for developing countries around the world, particularly in terms of their capacity to facilitate channels of connectivity, information sharing, and communication between individuals, civil society groups, business organizations, and governments. These new technologies may play an essential role in the near future in enabling new forms of government transparency, citizen participation, collaboration, service provision, and accountability.&nbsp

Iinnovation in public administration is one of the central aspects of public sector reforms. Given the procedural nature of government tasks, the adoption of the Internet and related information and communication technologies (ICT) has become critical for government organisations. The aim of this paper is to discuss the implications of the diffusion Internet led innovations in the public sector on balancing public values. Rather than diminishing their benefits, we aim at highlighting challenges and dilemmas that can emerge from ICT implementation in the public sector. The paper starts by reviewing the main trends of e-government research and show a dominant view towards managerial and private sector values embedded in the literature. To propose an alternative approach, we then draw on an empirical example from Mexico, that of the Federal TransparencyandAccess to Government Information Law. Using Mexico’s available statistics and secondary data, the case explores how a quicker ICT-mediated interaction between citizens and government can result in social and political dilemmas. We propose to bring into play the public value paradigm to highlight these issues. Conclusions follow.

Innovation in public administration is one of the central aspects of public sector reforms. Given the procedural nature of government tasks, the adoption of the Internet and related information and communication technologies (ICT) has become critical for government organisations. The aim of this paper is to discuss the implications of the diffusion Internet led innovations in the public sector on balancing public values. Rather than diminishing their benefits, we aim at highlighting challenges and dilemmas that can emerge from ICT implementation in the public sector. The paper starts by reviewing the main trends of e-government research and show a dominant view towards managerial and private sector values embedded in the literature. To propose an alternative approach, we then draw on an empirical example from Mexico, that of the Federal Transparency and Access to Government Information Law. Using Mexico’s available statistics and secondary data, the case explores how a quicker ICT-mediated interaction between citizens and government can result in social and political dilemmas. We propose to bring into play the public value paradigm to highlight these issues. Conclusions follow.

Governments are increasingly investing in information and communication technologies (ICT) as tool to foster the rationalization of public administration. This paper discusses e-government within the context of governmental reforms heavily influenced by the New Public Management (NPM), which suggests that the use of ICT within the public sector will enhance efficiency, effectiveness and accountability. Based on the concept of ‘public value’ developed by Moore (1995), we propose to question the overall impact e-government initiatives may have on governments’ ability to deliver social and economic outcomes that correspond to citizens’ expectations. Our central argument is presented as follows: while ICT can help to achieve the main NPM values, e-government initiatives do not guarantee to have a positive effect on broader public values. Even when this argument is not new, in this paper we aim to strengthen the need for a deeper discussion of the implications of e-government programs in the context of public values. To do so, we propose a framework that distinguishes between clusters of public values: those that are related to managerial practices and those related to democratic values. We draw on descriptive examples to illustrate our main arguments.

Mexico specifically and Latin America generally have followed many of the mobile communication trends seen elsewhere in the world. It has seen unexpectedly rapid growth, and access to mobiles is outstripping fixed access. During the mid-1980s, mobiles were considered a rich person’s device, but mobile telephones are today proliferating among the poor, often providing them with their only source of telecommunication access. This chapter examines major contours of the situation of mobiles in Mexico, and reports on a snapshot survey on mobile usage among youth undertaken specifically for this volume.

El uso de las tecnologías de información y comunicaciones sin dudas ocupa un papel importante dentroefelas herramientas que propone la corriente de la Nueva Gestión Pública (NGP), no sólo para permitirofacilitar los objetivos de mayor eficiencia y eficacia en los quehaceres del sector público, sino también como herramienta para fomentar la transparencia y la rendición de cuentas mediante la participación ciudadana. El documento revisa una aplicación particular del uso de tecnologías de información en la administración pública: el gobierno electrónico. Sobre la hipótesis de que los logros en materia de gobierno digital son más visibles en los gobiernos locales, el documento analiza las experiencias exitosas de gobierno digital en el marco del Premio de Gobierno y Gestión Local que dirige y coordina el C/DE, con el fin de hallar tendencias comunes. De los hallazgos para el casode México, como en muchos otros países de América Latina, el desarrollo del gobierno digitalseencuentra aún en una etapa incipiente, pero que promete resultados positivos futuros, tanto a los servidores públicos comoa los ciudadanos.

Este documento es una introducción general a qué son los datos abiertos y está enfocado a los datos relacionados con Contrataciones. Se espera que este documento sirva como guía para la Dirección de Compras Públicas en la implementación de los datos abiertos en el Sistema Integrado de Compras Públicas (SICOP) y, además sea un incentivo para que la adopción de datos abiertos se difunda entre otras entidades del gobierno.