Strengthening the plan of information
and communication technologies
of the colombian mining sector (1).

The Ministry of Mines and Energy, aware of the importance of technology and communications in the mining sector, has been working with the Colombian Institute of Geology and Mining — Ingeominas, and the Mining Energy Planning Unit —UPME, in order to fortify the network system facilities and the latest generation communication systems in the mining industry. This initiative aims to offer all actors involved reliable and effective information that could be fundamental for a good decision making.

In this regard, "the Colombian Mining Institutionality (in the hands of the Mining Energy Planning Unit UPME, Ingeominas, the Government of Antioquia, Bolívar, Boyacá, Caldas, Cesar and Norte de Santander) is trying to achieve, in the medium term, online services with a Governmental and sectorial intranet support. In order to follow in detail all the guidelines set up to manage information, proceedings and services offered by the Colombian State, through electronic media, regarding the Colombian mining sector ". Source: Ministry of Mines and Energy

For this reason, in the second semester of the year 2007, it was defined by an agreement subscribed between the National University of Medellín, a Sector Study for the Elaboration of the Strategic Plan of Information and Communication Technologies (PETIC) for the Colombian Mining Sector. As a result, there were identified the Colombian mining institutionality processes as a single organization, isolating the particular interests of each one of the entities that conform it, in order to have a more general view of those processes and technologies that are susceptible of being integrated.

The study reflected, for each process, the current percentage of utilization of a specialized computer tool, the results are as follows:

Source: MME                 

It is important to point out, the lack of a structural organization connected with the information and knowledge management, to the interior of each one of the organizations analyzed, accordingly with the needs of the Colombian Mining institutionality and with the evolution of information and communications technologies; a structure that should define roles, responsibilities and necessary competences for the adequate development, monitoring and control technology based projects for the mining sector.

It is also clear the necessity to support the missionary processes of the Colombian mining institucionality, and the objectives and mining policies, on information technologies and suitable communications, through the formulation of a Strategic Plan of Information Communication Technologies —PETIC’ s.

Therefore, the Ministry of Mines and Energy signed in May of 2008 a Cooperation Agreement with the Javeriana University’s Geophysical Institute to formulate the already mentioned PETICs for the mining sector, which is expected to improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the Colombian Mining Institutionality.