Eibar Konecta: Bringing Digital Services Closer to Citizens and Combating the Digital Divide
The new municipal program will offer in-person support, training, and personalized guidance, focusing on seniors and those facing difficulties.
By Gorka Uriarte Mendizábal
••4 min read
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Generic image: hands using a smartphone with a modern community center in the background.
The Eibar City Council introduces the Eibar Konecta program, aimed at facilitating access to digital services and reducing the digital divide.
The Eibar Konecta program aims to bring digital services closer to all citizens, with a particular focus on the elderly and those who find it challenging to navigate new technologies. The initiative will provide in-person support, practical training, and personalized guidance to ensure no one is left behind in the digitalization process.
An increasing number of procedures are now conducted online, such as booking appointments or downloading certificates. However, this process is not uniform for everyone. Lack of technological knowledge, age, or the need for occasional assistance can pose barriers to accessing increasingly digitalized services.
To address this reality, the council will launch Eibar Konecta, a program inspired by experiences in other municipalities and adapted to Eibar's specific needs. The goal is to ensure that no individual is disadvantaged due to difficulties in performing online tasks.
This program will go beyond mere computer training; it will foster close and practical support, assisting individuals in resolving real-life situations. Topics covered will include mobile phone usage and its main applications, creating email accounts, booking appointments, carrying out administrative procedures, and using digital identification systems or downloading certificates.
Aspects related to employment, municipal services, online banking, and Internet security will also be addressed, with an emphasis on preventing fraud, suspicious messages, and protecting personal data.
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"La digitalización tiene que servir para hacer la vida más fácil a las personas, no para crear nuevas barreras. Desde el Ayuntamiento queremos que Eibar avance, pero queremos hacerlo sin dejar a nadie atrás. Eibar Konecta parte de una idea muy sencilla: si un trámite se puede hacer por Internet, también tenemos que garantizar que quien tenga dificultades para hacerlo encuentre cerca a alguien que le pueda ayudar."
A central element of the program will be in-person assistance. A recognizable and accessible municipal space will be established, complemented by targeted actions in various neighborhoods and citizen participation areas, to offer personalized support to those who may feel most disconnected from new technologies.
Special attention will be given to the elderly, individuals living alone, those with limited technological knowledge, or facing socioeconomic challenges.
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"Desde Servicios Sociales vemos la importancia de que la transformación digital vaya acompañada de las personas. Para muchas personas mayores, por ejemplo, pasar de una gestión presencial a una aplicación o una página web supone un cambio importante. Queremos ofrecer un espacio en el que puedan preguntar sin miedo, aprender a su ritmo y repetir las veces que haga falta. Resolver un trámite es importante, pero conseguir que esa persona gane autonomía y confianza lo es todavía más."
In addition to individual support, free sessions and workshops will be organized, such as 'Learn to Use Your Mobile', 'Internet Procedures Without Fear', and 'Digital Identity', also covering Internet security and digital banking.
The program will collaborate with various local stakeholders, including senior associations, neighborhood groups, social entities, educational centers, the library, cultural spaces, and the local business and associative fabric.
The initial step will involve a diagnostic assessment to identify the most challenging procedures, the groups needing the most support, and existing resources within the city, enabling the design of a pilot program and progressive evaluation of its results.
Eibar Konecta will incorporate monitoring mechanisms to assess its impact and adapt the service to citizens' real needs. Indicators such as the number of people assisted, consultations made, workshops organized, and user satisfaction will be analyzed, aiming for digitalization to be a tool for inclusion rather than a new source of inequality.
The initiative stems from the conviction that technology should bring services closer to people, not distance them. The program aims to ensure that any citizen can find a place to ask questions, learn, and progress, especially when a digital task becomes a difficulty.
Torrekua Social Center: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Beheko tokia: Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hours: 9:30-14:00 and 16:30-19:00.
