If you are an organisation in Bolivia, you cannot wait for a national law to decide how to handle personal data and AI responsibly; you need a workable playbook now.  

This workable playbook is exactly what a project winner of the first InDiCo-Global open call “Fostering data protection and responsible AI compliance in Bolivia” aimed on developing between January and July 2025.  The project focused on laying the groundwork to promote international standards—particularly the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the EU Artificial Intelligence Act—among private entities and academic institutions. 

As part of their outputs, Fundación InternetBolivia.org developed a ‘Guide’ within this project, that translates high-level principles into concrete procedures teams can follow. It also serves as the central reference for the project’s training, events, and coaching activities that follow. 

From guidance to practice

With the Guide in place, three public events introduced it to stakeholders on May 12, 14, and 16 in La Paz, Santa Cruz, and Cochabamba. This was followed by a three-day online workshop on May 22, 23, and 24 to support first-time implementation. The in-person launches built awareness and demand; the online workshop converted interest into first steps and hands-on use. 

Partnerships that extend reach

The team initiated strategic partnerships with United Nations Global Compact – Bolivia, the National Chamber of Commerce, PROCOSI (a network of 24 organisations working in health projects), startups, technology companies, and public and private universities to facilitate dissemination, adoption, and implementation of the Guide. These alliances gave the playbook legitimacy and opened doors to sector-specific pilots.

Coaching and verification

After the workshop phase, participating organisations were assessed and three were selected to receive coaching and a certification in data protection and responsible AI. This targeted support aimed to turn guidance into organisational change, combining diagnosis, tailored accompaniment, and verification against the Guide.

What this seeks to change

Through these efforts, the project aims to safeguard digital rights in Bolivia and to foster a culture of digital governance, ethical innovation, and responsible technological development. In practical terms, that means clearer roles for handling data and AI, consistent internal processes, and shared expectations with partners and users.

Lessons learned and key insights

• High demand for practical tools where regulation is absent: The Guide proved necessary and timely in a context without a national data protection law. Organisations showed interest in adopting technical standards voluntarily, confirming the urgency of practical frameworks even without legal mandates. Templates and step-by-step guidance lowered the barrier to first adoption. 
• Tailoring by sector increases relevance: Adjusting content and coaching to the needs of startups, legal firms, and civil society organisations in health increased engagement and applicability. Relevance drove uptake; uptake enabled impact. 
• Blended methodology maximises impact: Combining virtual and in-person formats broadened participation while maintaining technical depth. The phased coaching approach — diagnosis, face-to-face, and follow-up — created continuity and measurable progress within organisations. Sequencing mattered: awareness, capability, then consolidation. 
• Alliances expand legitimacy and scale: Working with PROCOSI, chambers of commerce, universities, and professional associations added credibility and facilitated dissemination. Allies sustained momentum between events and connected the Guide to real implementation contexts. 
• Time constraints remain a challenge: While coaching and certification were successful, the limited operational timeframe restricted broader engagement. Extending future project duration would allow deeper institutionalisation of practices. Longer runways help embed routines and evaluate results. 
• Capacity building must be continuous 
  Strong participant interest underlined the need for sustained training programmes. One-off sessions are valuable, but long-term impact requires ongoing capacity building, periodic evaluations, and communities of practice. Community keeps knowledge alive after the workshops end.