The U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Digital Strategy was launched in April 2020 to achieve and sustain open, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystems that contribute to broad-based, measurable development and humanitarian assistance outcomes through the responsible use of digital technology.1
The Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA), a flagship initiative of the Digital Strategy, informs the development, design, and implementation of USAID’s strategies, projects, and activities. The DECA looks at three pillars of a nation’s digital ecosystem: (1) digital infrastructure and adoption; (2) digital society, rights, and governance; and (3) digital economy. The DECA aims to inform how USAID/Guatemala can understand, work with, and strengthen the country’s digital ecosystem. The Guatemala DECA was informed by USAID/ Guatemala’s 2020-2025 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS),2 the USAID/Guatemala IndigenousPeoples’ Engagement Strategy,3 USAID’s Localization Framework for Guatemala (under Centroamérica Local initiative),4 and the 2021 U.S. Strategy for Addressing the Root Causes of Migration.5
The USAID/Guatemala CDCS includes three Development Objectives:6
- Partner with the Government of Guatemala and other stakeholders to increase economic prosperity, inclusion, and stability in areas with high irregular migration
- Partner with the Government of Guatemala and other stakeholders to strengthen effective and accountable governance to improve quality of life and reduce irregular migration
- Partner with the Government of Guatemala and other stakeholders to improve justice and security to reduce irregular migration