Interoperability: the key to agricultural sector development

  

Bogotá D.C., (@Minagricultura, @UPRAColombia, @claudialili76). Within the framework of the fifth strategic axis of the Sectoral Statistical Plan, PES Agropecuario, which refers to the adaptation of information to the end-user, the Agricultural Statistics Table and the National Unified System of Agricultural Rural Information (SNUIRA) have been formulating the Interoperability Plan for the agricultural sector, as provided by the interoperability framework of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (MinTIC) and under the guidelines of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR).
 

 

Thus, the event "Interoperability: Pillar of Information Management, Basis of Agricultural Sector Policy" was held, with the participation of more than 100 in-person attendees and another 150 connected virtually. During the event, not only was the sectorial interoperability strategy explained, but experiences from other actors were also shared, highlighting the importance of connecting information to facilitate and improve the experience of end-users.
 

 

"We must re-emphasize interoperability as a pillar of information management for the agricultural sector. We have been working on this issue for several years within the framework of SNUIRA, as an information management strategy aimed at integrating the joint work of entities to organize, manage, and govern agricultural sector information," explained Luz Mery Gómez, head of the ICT office at UPRA.
 

 

During the event, the importance of internalizing interoperability by entities as part of their development strategy was emphasized, as well as the need to consolidate robust integrated work plans in process maps and carried out with the support of various planning offices.
 

 

"We have to work so that interoperability becomes visible in different entities from a strategic standpoint, and organizations understand how crucial it is to have data. Beyond the technological aspect lies the strategic one. This interoperability plan must be reflected in our process maps so that it is materialized; otherwise, it will remain mere rhetoric. We must work to make this visible in planning, an exercise in which sector planning offices must be involved because we need to unite the strategic with the technological," added Gómez.

 

 Along the same lines, Nancy Paola Sánchez, Advisor for the Implementation of the Digital Government Policy at the Ministry of ICT, explained the Colombian State's Interoperability Strategy and its impact on the Agricultural Sector. "Let's go further, let's look at the scope. If interoperability is supporting and developing the sector, that's where we're headed. The real objective is to impact those who truly need it in a timely and efficient manner."

 

While the Ministry of ICT plays a decisive role in implementing this interoperability strategy, another fundamental actor is the National Digital Agency (AND). Viviana Bayuelo, General Director of AND, explained that "interoperability is the possibility of exchanging information. To date, we have already interoperated with over 350 national and territorial entities. Additionally, we have digital authentication, which is the possibility for a person to identify themselves with a username to access information, and for us to validate that it is indeed that person."

 

In conclusion, the event "Interoperability: Pillar of Information Management, Basis of Agricultural Sector Policy" has been a significant step in strengthening information management in the agricultural sector. The importance of interoperability as a key strategy to optimize sectoral information management and governance was reaffirmed. Expert interventions underscored the need to integrate interoperability into entity's strategic planning and emphasized its impact on the efficient and timely development of the agricultural sector.
 

The shared vision among participants is clear: inter​​operability must be a tangible tool, not just a concept, that transforms and improves the experience of end-users, establishing itself as an essential pillar for the future agricultural development of Colombia.