Bonilla Kleinsy, Arrechea Susana, Velásquez Pérez Luis Guillermo
Department of Science and Technology Policies (DPCT), Institute of Geosciences (IG), State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
Instituto Para el Desarrollo de la Educación Superior en Guatemala (INDESGUA), Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Front Res Metr Anal. 2022 Jun 27;7:898496. doi: 10.3389/frma.2022.898496. eCollection 2022.
In 2005, the Guatemala National Secretariat of Science and Technology (Senacyt) introduced , a program designed to connect Guatemalan scientists residing abroad with their country of origin. has been a flagship practice for over 15 years. This program involves three main groups of participants: (i) science and technology (S&T) policy agents, (ii) the scientific community (including parts of the Guatemala scientific diaspora, GSD), and (iii) host institutions (local co-organizers, mainly universities, and research institutes). This article presents a comprehensive and balanced overview of the program applying an in-depth analysis of its creation, evolution, leading trends, and legacies. Using a qualitative methodology and conducting a four-level analysis (descriptive, explanatory, normative, and prescriptive) allowed for the identification of nuances of this S&T practice in the context of a scientifically lagging country such as Guatemala. The detailed data collected through documentary and desk review, gray literature, focus group discussions, and semi-structured interviews resulted in a framework to highlight the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOTs) in the planning, organization, implementation, monitoring, and perception of the results achieved by . Findings portray the contrasting views and perceptions from a single S&T practice, depending on the participating parties' roles and responsibilities. Direct participants examined how has achieved its objectives while questioning the effectiveness and impact that the resources allocated to the initiative have yielded over time. Evidence indicates that despite the design, coordination, and evaluation limits of , the GSD, the scientific community in Guatemala, and the host institutions are interested in the continuity of the practice. Indeed, the main recommendation involves restructuring and turning into a robust S&T policy. as a policy engaging the GSD could produce greater results and impacts by involving all the key actors in co-designing activities, clearly determining roles and responsibilities, and establishing performance and impact indicators for evaluation.
2005年，危地马拉国家科学技术秘书处（Senacyt）推出了一项计划，旨在让旅居海外的危地马拉科学家与祖国建立联系。15多年来，该计划一直是一项旗舰举措。该计划涉及三个主要参与群体：（i）科技政策推动者，（ii）科学界（包括部分危地马拉侨民科学家群体，GSD），以及（iii）主办机构（当地联合主办方，主要是大学和研究机构）。本文通过对该计划的创立、演变、主要趋势和遗产进行深入分析，全面且平衡地概述了该计划。运用定性方法并进行四级分析（描述性、解释性、规范性和规定性），得以在危地马拉这样一个科学发展滞后的国家背景下识别该科技举措的细微差别。通过文献和案头审查、灰色文献、焦点小组讨论以及半结构化访谈收集的详细数据，形成了一个框架，以突出该计划在规划、组织、实施、监测以及对所取得成果的认知方面的优势、劣势、机遇和威胁（SWOT）。研究结果描绘了来自单一科技举措的不同观点和认知，这取决于参与各方的角色和责任。直接参与者审视了该计划如何实现其目标，同时质疑随着时间推移分配给该倡议的资源所产生的有效性和影响。有证据表明，尽管该计划存在设计、协调和评估方面的局限性，但危地马拉侨民科学家群体、危地马拉科学界以及主办机构对该举措的延续性感兴趣。事实上，主要建议是进行重组并将该计划转变为一项强有力的科技政策。作为一项让危地马拉侨民科学家群体参与的政策，通过让所有关键行为体共同参与设计活动、明确确定角色和责任以及建立绩效和影响指标以进行评估，可能会产生更大的成果和影响。
