The meeting in Panama City brought together national statistical offices to exchange experiences in knowledge management and modernization of data platforms, with the technical support of ECLAC.

On December 2, 2025, the workshop “Knowledge Management in National Statistics Offices: Modernizing Information Systems and Implementing Statistical Geoportals” was held in Panama City, a training event aimed at strengthening the capacities of the National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of the countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA).

Organized within the framework of the XXX Ordinary Meeting of the CENTROESTAD, the meeting brought together authorities and technical teams responsible for the dissemination of data, the management of statistical platforms and the development of geoportals, who shared progress, challenges and good practices in the modernization of the regional statistical infrastructure.

ECLAC participated through the Statistics Division, presenting the modernization process of CEPALSTAT, its data portal, and its Geoportal, both developed under a knowledge management approach. The specialists presented the conceptual model used, the technologies adopted and the strategies to integrate statistical and geospatial data into public dissemination platforms.

During the day, representatives from various ONEs shared relevant experiences on the implementation of new digital tools, data interoperability, open data policies, use of georeferenced information and statistical communication strategies. These included presentations from INEGI of Mexico, National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) of Colombia, National Institute of Statistics of Paraguay, National Office of Statistics (ONE) of the Dominican Republic, the National Office of Statistics and Censuses (ONEC) of the Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador, the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) of Panama and the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) of Costa Rica.

The workshop also allowed us to analyze the state of regional progress in the development of statistical portals and geoportals, as well as the opportunities they offer to improve the accessibility, visualization and territorial use of official information. ECLAC presented a regional overview and provided recommendations to continue strengthening the digital modernization of statistical systems in the SICA countries.
 

The activity concluded with a call to deepen regional cooperation and to advance the adoption of technological tools that allow NSOs to respond more efficiently to the growing demands for information for the design, monitoring and evaluation of data-based public policies.

The workshop is part of a set of regional initiatives aimed at strengthening the statistical and geospatial capacities of national offices, allowing them to modernize their internal processes, facilitate access to official information and respond more effectively to data needs for public policies and monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).