The Latin American Group for Public Administration (LAGPA), the regional entity of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS), played a pivotal role at the XXIX International Congress on State Reform and Public Administration. The event, organized by the Centro Latinoamericano de Administración para el Desarrollo (CLAD) in partnership with the Government of Brazil, the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI), the National School of Public Administration (ENAP), and other key collaborators, took place in Brasília from November 26 to 29, 2024.

Among LAGPA's notable contributions was its participation in the panel “Estudios de casos comparativos, en Brasil, Colombia, Perú y Chile sobre innovación y digitalización del conocimiento: educación superior, innovaciones sociales y gestión ambiental,” held on November 28. Coordinated by Edgar Varela Barrios, Professor at Universidad del Valle (Univalle), Colombia, the session featured distinguished presentations by members of the LAGPA/IIAS Steering Committee, including its President, Rubén Darío Echeverri Romero. The panel highlighted comparative case studies addressing innovation and digitalization in public administration across Latin America. Key presentations included:

• "La gestión universitaria y su respuesta frente a la digitalización del conocimiento y los procesos de formación: experiencias comparadas en América Latina" – Edgar Varela Barrios, Universidad del Valle, Colombia.
• "Ecossistema de Inovação Tecnológica e Social na Amazônia" – Claudia Souza Passador, President of Sociedade Brasileira de Administração Pública (SBAP/USP, Brazil), co-authored with João Luiz Passador.
• "Innovación en política pública educativa: El Plan de Reactivación Educativa de Chile para enfrentar los efectos de la pandemia del COVID-19" – Ariel Ramírez Orrego, Vice Dean, Universidad de Chile.
• "La adopción del aprendizaje en línea y las nuevas políticas públicas para la educación superior" – Rubén Darío Echeverri Romero, President of LAGPA/IIAS, co-authored with Leidi Ruano-Arcos, Universidad del Valle, Colombia.

This panel underscored the region’s proactive approach to addressing challenges in higher education, social innovation, and environmental management, with a strong emphasis on knowledge digitalization and innovative public administration practices.

The collaboration between LAGPA and CLAD continues to deepen, as demonstrated by the presence of CLAD representatives at the LAGPA 2024 Conference in Mexico City earlier this year. Such exchanges reinforce their shared commitment to advancing governance excellence and fostering regional cooperation.

LAGPA’s active engagement in the XXIX CLAD Congress reaffirmed its leadership as a driving force in promoting innovative governance across Latin America.