Inteligencia de Datos en la Gestión Pública: Una Perspectiva Estratégica para Optimizar el Gasto Público en el Ecuador

Abstract

The digital transformation of the public sector has increased the availability of administrative data, but its strategic use remains contingent on the institutional capacity to integrate, analyze, and transform it into evidence for decision-making. This study aimed to analyze data intelligence from a strategic perspective, identifying its capabilities, applications, and institutional conditions to contribute to the optimization of public spending in Ecuador. A qualitative approach was adopted, with a non-experimental, cross-sectional design and a descriptive-interpretive scope. Twenty professionals involved in planning and budgeting, financial and administrative management, procurement and control, data technology and management, and public administration participated, selected through purposive sampling. The findings identified the main gaps as interoperability and technological integration (90%) and data governance and quality (85%). The most frequently used applications were integrated monitoring of execution and performance (95%), early detection of budget deviations (90%), and the identification of risks and anomalies in public procurement (85%). The study concludes that data intelligence can contribute to optimizing spending through comprehensive resource visibility, risk anticipation, evidence-based prioritization, and traceability between spending and results.