Page 75 - U4SSC Compendium of survey results on integrated digital solutions for city platforms around the world

systems. The investments also were diverted towards managing capacity for COVID-19 intervention
and air quality management in public buildings to manage CO and control COVID-19 infection
2
rates. All the projects are merged with the RivaSmart platform.

All investments made by municipal subsidies have an impact on returns due to direct savings
in supplies such as electricity, gas and water, and the optimization of processes or value-added
services to improve the quality of life of citizens.

Obtaining aid in previous projects can be considered as quantifiable performance. Non-quantifiable
returns are linked to better efficiency and management in municipal services.

Currently, the monetization strategy of the information contained in the platform has not been
developed. The information provided to universities and research centres has been free of charge
and arranged through confidentiality agreements with these institutions.

The improvements in strategic planning and operationalization of the city platform achieved by
the dashboards in municipal areas have not been valued in monetary terms, neither have the
resulting efficiencies achieved in administrative processes. In addition, enhanced production by
local enterprises as an outcome of API data generated by the platform have not been accorded a
monetary value and neither have endowments and funding of research projects provided by the
platform to university departments aimed at improving their research capacity.

In conclusion, investments in the city platform have been wise and sustainable, resulting in direct
and indirect benefits to the city, as well as providing tangible and intangible benefits for citizens
and the socio-economic environment.

7.7 Key factors and barriers to implementation

The key factor in the digital transformation of the city was marked by the firm belief among political
leaders that building a smart city would be important and beneficial. This was the starting point
in creating a solid organizational structure and strategy, involving the entire administration and
providing the economic resources that facilitated its implementation.

Overcoming hesitancy and convincing the leadership of the advantages helped remove obstacles
in securing budgetary allocation for the implementation of the smart city platform.

One of the main barriers to its consolidation lies in the management of change that implies, on the
one hand, contractual evolution and, on the other, the organizational and technological processes
that lead to the development of transversal services on an urban platform. In this process, it is
very important to have officials responsible for introducing the changes with the support of the
government team.

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