ICT appropriation processes within a communication strategy in the communities of the municipalities of the zone of influence of the Páramo de Santurbán

Between 2017 and 2019 we started an inter-institutional research work between the University of Medellín and the Alianza BioCuenca Foundation. This relationship was developed in two stages: the first entitled "The transmedia narrative as a tool for empowerment, social change and support for organizational communication: BioCuenca Alliance Case", where mainly quantitative techniques were implemented, which allowed from some hypotheses , analyze the variables that can affect a communication campaign through the use of transmedia narratives; and the second, “The participation of citizens in environmental protection issues through the analysis and production of transmedia content. Conservation case of the Santurbán páramo”, which focused on using analysis techniques and the production of transmedia messages, to be implemented in a communication campaign that sought to involve citizens in the conservation of this ecosystem, taking as background the results obtained in the first phase of work. The interest now for the BioCuenca Alliance in terms of communication is focused on boosting the relationship with the communities in its area of impact through an ICT appropriation strategy that enhances the forms of participation of the inhabitants, through a community network in social welfare activities promoted by this organization through the miPáramo project. MiPáramo is a public-private and community initiative for the protection of the high Andean forest of the Santurbán páramo, through voluntary conservation agreements with peasant families. Its vision focuses on ensuring that the conservation of strategic ecosystems is socially valued, economically viable and contributes to the quality of life of families. Having a significant impact on SDG number 10: Reduction of Inequalities. The initiative has been developed since 2016 under the operation of the Norte de Santander Water Fund – Alianza BioCuenca. The Alianza BioCuenca Foundation, created in Colombia based on the concept of the Water Fund, is an initiative open to all those actors committed to sustainability. environment and with the protection of water sources in strategic basins for the social and economic development of the region. It has the participation of public and private actors, and is aimed at committing, collecting and managing economic resources to finance programs and projects for the conservation and restoration of areas linked to the sustainability of water in the Zulia and Pamplonita river basins. Among the social intervention actions with the residents of the Páramo de Santurbán undertaken as a result of the contingency due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Comprehensive Contact Center (CIC) was developed, whose objective is to maintain two-way communication with the beneficiaries of miPáramo ®, which allows knowing, capturing and analyzing relevant data in order to retain those linked, monitor the impacts of the project and design strategies that guarantee permanence in the territory (based on prioritizing information on issues such as social welfare, food health, food health, and emergencies). The communication work carried out by the CIC has identified the need to improve the connectivity conditions of the inhabitants of these areas to improve their social welfare conditions. For this reason, they consider it pertinent to carry out a communication strategy that, based on the appropriation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), actively links the inhabitants with the social welfare activities promoted through the miPáramo project. From the research in Communication we observe that the implementation of the ValoraTIC Evaluation Tool will be a relevant contribution for the analysis of digital gaps present in the communities that will allow proposing a communication strategy for social management that meets the needs and demands of the communities. residents from a dimension of education, communication and culture for social participation. It is important to mention that the ValoraTIC Tool, whose authorship is one of the researchers presenting this proposal, is a product registered in the Office of Innovation of the University of Medellin that was awarded by the Government of Antioquia in the category of Best Research Project. Educational Innovation in 2016.

General ObjectiveGenerate an ICT (Information and Communication Technology) appropriation strategy, according to the needs of the communities of the municipalities in the area of influence of the Páramo de Santurbán in order to actively link them with the social welfare activities promoted by the Fundación Alianza BioCuenca through the miPáramo project. Specific Objectives- Develop a diagnosis of digital divides following the methodology proposed by the “ValoraTIC” Assessment Tool.- Design intervention actions relevant to the demands observed in the diagnosis as support for a communication strategy aimed at segment of the rural population in the area of impact.- Generate relevant content to promote forms of educommunication that favor the quality of life of the communities of the municipalities in the area of influence of the Páramo de Santurbán, in order to actively link them with welfare activities social-promo lives for the BioCuenca Alliance through the miPáramo project.

Products resulting from activities to generate new knowledge:- 1 ISI WOS or Scopus article.- 1 non-Scopus international database article. Products resulting from technological development and innovation activities: - Communication strategy aimed at the rural population segment in the impact zone. (Innovation in organizational process).- Diagnosis of digital gaps in the area of impact. (Innovation in organizational process) Products resulting from activities of social appropriation of knowledge:- Development of two educommunication contents for rural populations in the Páramo de Santurbán (Product of social appropriation of knowledge) Academic impacts: Research results and incorporated into training plans, Bibliography in microcurricula, Linking research assistants of students of the Faculty of Communication. E, Impact on the field of research and theoretical foundation of the new program of the Faculty of Communication: Communication for Social Management. Impacts on the company: Improvement in the practices of the BioCuenca Alliance Organization in its external communication processes with the populations of the Páramo de Santurbán area. Fundación Alianza BioCuenca. Impacts on the community: The communication strategy developed in this project aims to improve the forms of participation of the communities of the páramo to improve their socio-economic well-being. Communities of the municipalities in the area of influence of the Páramo de SanturbánEnvironmental impacts: Improvement of the quality of the environment. Sustainable use of new natural resources. Effects on biodiversity preservation: The intervention developed in the research will be carried out within the framework of the MiPáramo project, which guides its investments in Conservation, Restoration and Support for Sustainable Production, based on Voluntary Agreements of Conservation that are oriented to the protection of the ecosystem. This with the aim of improving the quality of life of the high Andean communities, demonstrating that productive activities, complemented with conservation and restoration of the ecosystem, are an opportunity for the community. Zone of influence of the Páramo de Santurbán located in Santander and Norte de Santander.