NIA staff in cooperation with the Inter-American Development (IDB) conducted a Needs Assessment in Panama for the Panamanian Government' s InfoPlaza operation and construction development project.

While in Panama, NIA staff from the Global IT Division, including Executive Principal, Young Min Ko and Principal Manager, Mina Son met with officials from SENACYT (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation) as well as Julio Castillo, SENACYT' s InfoPlaza Director. Currently there are 265

InfoPlazas in Panama and there is a plan in place to extend the number of InfoPlazas by next year through IDB funding. Before that extension of funding is put in place, the Panamanian government wanted to receive some consulting advice and support from MOPAS/NIA in making sure that the InfoPlaza is a self-sustainable model.



Most of InfoPlaza models that are set up attach more significance on providing simple internet access but in 2 newly constructed InfoPlazas, there is lecturer that iss situated and living there and providing a computer educational lecture program for 8 hours every day contributing significant efforts to regional community development.



After hearing about Korea' s own INVIL (Information Network Village), the Panamanian government officials were specifically interested in the e-commerce function for selling Korea' s special products, regional tour program, using Video Chat Service between immigrants' families, Information Network

Village operating structure and so on.



NIA staff also had an in-depth meeting and interview with Dr. Ruben Berrocal, National Secreatry of Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT Minister). During the discussions, the Minister was very grateful that NIA could come to Panama and conduct the needs assessment and that the InfoPlaza project has been enhanced because of Korea' s support. The Minister Berrocal

went on to add that InfoPlaza's project has been one of the 50 most important agendas in Panama at the current time and he expressed gratitude for Korea' s visit and ask for continuous cooperation and support in the future.



Finally, NIA officials were able to check on the construction and progress of Panama' s Information Access Center (IAC) that is now in the process of development. NIA had hoped that the opening ceremony for the Panama-Korea IAC would take place no later than September 24th and Director of the

National Authority for Government Innovation - Ibero Fernandez stated that in fact, September 24th would be the date of the opening ceremony and everything would be prepared in time for that opening ceremony of the Panama-Korea IAC.