Gestión digital y su impacto en la eficiencia y la transparencia de los gobiernos autónomos descentralizados en el ecuador

Abstract

Digital management is central to contemporary administrative modernization, transforming the way Ecuador's Decentralized Autonomous Governments (GADs) operate and interact with citizens. This article critically analyzes how the implementation of digital technologies affects institutional efficiency and government transparency, based on mixed-method research. A non-experimental, cross-sectional design was applied, combining documentary analysis with the evaluation of 45 institutional websites and the statistical processing of secondary data. The results show that, although 100% of the GADs have achieved basic levels of digital presence, only 20% have implemented complete transactional platforms, revealing significant gaps linked to budgetary and territorial factors. In terms of transparency, average compliance with the Organic Law on Transparency and Access to Public Information (LOTAIP) reached 82%, with an emphasis on financial aspects and low coverage of procedural data, confirming a bias toward formal rather than substantive accountability. Likewise, digitization had positive effects: a 77% reduction in processing times, 61.6% savings in administrative costs, and a 2.3-point increase in citizen satisfaction on a scale of ten. It is concluded that digital management has undeniable transformative potential, although it is limited by the digital divide, the lack of specialized talent, and institutional resistance. The adoption of comprehensive strategies that articulate infrastructure, human capacities, and inclusive digital governance is recommended.