It is innovative because it reinvents the mission processes performed by the participating entities with the use of disruptive technology such as Blockchain. The Pilot allows exploring and learning the technology, generating valuable learning for its subsequent implementation and encouraging more entities to experiment as well, but it also applies a technological mechanism to provide significant improvements and a new organizational mode in the Colombian State. The goal is to learn, develop functional solutions and sow the seed of public innovation in other entities.

Initially with the participation of IDB, which allowed shaping the approach of projects such as LAC-CHAIN in the region and enabled the transfer of knowledge at the national level. Agreements were signed with Peersysyt Technology, Grupo Sabra and Extrimiam, who agreed to work together, at their own risk, to develop proof of concepts and pilot blockchain developments for Colombian government public projects identified and prioritized by the ICT Ministry.

Participating Entities:

-Phase 1: National Agency of Territory , Rural Agricultural Planning Unit and the Superintendence of Notaries and Registries.

-Phase 2: Municipality of Chía, Institute for the Development of Antioquia, Technological Center of Cúcuta, Tourism Observatory - Municipality of Bogotá, Government of Bolívar, Municipality of Bucaramanga, Municipality of Algarrobo, ICA, INVIAS, Municipality of Medellín, National Agency of Territory, Ministry of Finance, Municipality of Bello.

We proposed to develop proofs of concept, and the use of collaborative spaces was of such an impact that two prototypes were consolidated for phase 1, which are ready to be deployed in production.

In Phase 2, gaps in blockchain appropriation were overcome, and a Phase 3 became necessary, in which we expect to advance in consulting in order to consolidate minimum viable products.Other entities have heard/read about the pilot, and have contacted us because they want to participate, as is the case of Banco de la República, which learned about the exercise from the Ministry of Finance, and are now exploring the idea of a digital currency.

More and more public entities are recognizing the advantages of emerging technologies and identifying opportunities for use in their processes. Claims such as blockchain is very expensive or only applies to the private sector are demystified, because at zero cost this experiment tests new customized developments.

Initially, it was planned to adopt the COCREAR methodology of the Digital Public Innovation Center of the ICT Ministry, but given the testing conditions of the project, some difficulties were encountered to implement them within the foreseen plans. Hence, it became necessary to define a governance model in the update of the Blockchain Reference Guide of the Colombian State, so that now there is greater clarity on the feasibility and implementation of this type of projects in the country.

Likewise, some of the challenges include the lack of interest on the part of the entity's management team. For this reason, we have asked for a commitment signed by the leader of the entity and even so, there have been some that throughout the process lose interest and participate less. Another factor is the change of government, this has generated changes in the management teams and in some moments there has been disinformation or they even moved away from the process altogether.

Since this is a pre-commercial public procurement project, the main success factor has been to be very insistent that it is a space for experimentation, and this allows us to adopt an experimental approach in a research and development process. There are possibilities of transferring knowledge and applying iteration, which translates into flexibility and willingness for new ideas, new challenges and puts us all in an attitude of experimenting, questioning and learning.

Another factor is the relationship with the public sector, which shows that it is possible to promote public-private partnerships to generate knowledge transfer scenarios and consolidate the growth of the adoption of emerging technologies, based on the "learning by doing" technique.

The experimentation space is easily replicable as a complete project, i.e., replicating another complete pilot or at the level of disaggregated initiatives, since it is possible to work only with a public entity and accompany it throughout the process of design, development, iteration and learning of a minimum viable product.

In our experience, several entities wanted to participate, but during the course of the pilot they became discouraged, and given that we have the technical support of private companies that are making their physical and financial capital available, we must ensure that those who start the process can finish it.

A process for monitoring and evaluating the initiatives should be designed from the outset. Although it was contemplated from the beginning of the pilot that it would be evaluated at the end, the lack of clear metrics throughout the process did not allow for easy measurement at the closing of each project once the minimum viable products were delivered.

The proposed schedule for each intervention must be respected; initially a six-month accompaniment had been planned and this was extended to one year, which implied more work for the private partners and the impossibility of starting the practical work with other public entities until the first ones were finished.