Abstract:

Digital transformation in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Latin America remains structurally fragmented: while technology adoption has accelerated significantly following the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of institutions implement isolated digital initiatives disconnected from strategic planning instruments, accreditation criteria, and institutional development plans. This paper presents the Six-Phase Institutional Digital Transformation Methodology (SIDTM), an original framework developed and tested at the Universidad Bolivariana del Ecuador (UBE) to operationalize digital transformation as a structured, phased, and accreditation-aligned institutional process.

The SIDTM integrates three previously disconnected planning streams: the institutional strategic development plan, the national quality assurance and accreditation standards, and the digital maturity assessment of the institution's current technological infrastructure. Grounded in a systematic literature review of Scopus- and WoS-indexed sources (2020–2025), a comparative analysis of six digital transformation frameworks applied to Latin American HEIs, and a longitudinal case study at UBE, the methodology unfolds through six sequential phases:
(1) Diagnostic and Digital Maturity Assessment,
(2) Strategic Vision and Digital Roadmap Formulation,
(3) Regulatory and Accreditation Alignment,
(4) Technology Architecture and Governance Design,
(5) Phased Implementation and Change Management, and
(6) Continuous Monitoring, Quality Assurance, and Institutional Learning.

Results from the UBE pilot demonstrate that institutions applying the SIDTM achieve quantifiably higher alignment between digital investments and accreditation indicators: the overall digital maturity score improved from 3.62 to 4.08 (+12.7%), 43 direct accreditation indicator alignments were identified across the digital roadmap, and 62% of total digital investment was channelled into accreditation evidence generation — transforming digital transformation from a cost centre into a strategic quality assurance instrument. Additionally, the SIDTM reduced implementation resistance across three identified staff groups and produced measurable improvements in digital governance, academic management, and research innovation dimensions. The framework is designed for scalability across Latin American HEIs sharing comparable national quality assurance and regulatory environments.

Keywords:

Digital transformation, higher education, strategic planning, quality assurance, change management, digital maturity, Latin America.