Building digital competence through dialogue in St. Martin

From 28 September to 2 October 2026, the University of St. Martin hosted a working visit by Rendell de Kort, Network Administrator of the Dutch Caribbean Digital Competence Network. The visit was locally coordinated by drs. Raymond Jessurun, DCDC Local Network Coordinator for St. Martin and Research Coordinator at USM.

The purpose of the visit was not simply to present the DCDC Network. It was primarily an opportunity to listen: to learn how organisations in St. Martin collect, manage, protect, preserve and use information, and to identify the digital knowledge and skills they require.

Starting with USM

The visit began with discussions at the University of St. Martin. Meetings were organised with USM Interim Management, members of the USM Foundation Board, the Research Coordinator, and representatives responsible for the library and information technology at USM.

These discussions addressed USM’s role as the institutional base for the St. Martin node of the DCDC Network. Attention was given to research support, access to digital information, institutional data management, library services, digital infrastructure and the support that students, faculty, staff and researchers need.

The discussions also underlined that digital competence is not limited to learning how to use software. It includes knowing how to find trustworthy information, document research properly, protect sensitive data, preserve records, share knowledge responsibly and make research results accessible to society.

Listening to public institutions

A major part of the visit was dedicated to government departments and other public institutions. Invitations were extended to the Civil Registry and Census Office, the Department of Statistics, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, the Department of Labour and Social Affairs, SZV, the Social Economic Council, Kadaster, the Sint Maarten Library, the Fire Department, the Office of Disaster Management, the Meteorological Department, the Electoral Council and the Central Voting Bureau.

The sessions showed that public institutions face different but connected information challenges. These include the digitisation of historical records, access to statistical information, protection of personal data, long-term preservation, institutional memory, secure storage, disaster recovery and the ability of different information systems to work together.

The discussions concerning historical civil-registry records were particularly relevant. These records are important not only for public administration, but also for families, historians and descendants seeking information about their ancestors. Digitisation must therefore be approached carefully. Scanning documents is only one part of the process. Questions of ownership, legal authority, privacy, metadata, physical restoration, secure storage, public access and long-term maintenance must also be resolved.

The meeting with the Department of Statistics highlighted the importance of making reliable public information accessible and understandable in a timely manner. Statistical data can support research, public planning and democratic decision-making, but only when users can locate the information, understand how it was produced and assess its limitations.

Discussions with disaster-management and meteorological representatives reinforced another important lesson: on a hurricane-prone island, digital resilience is part of disaster resilience. Institutions need secure backups, continuity plans and recovery procedures so that essential information remains available after a crisis.

Exploring electoral data as a possible working area

A discussion was also held with representatives connected to the Electoral Council and Central Voting Bureau. Electoral information is essential for public accountability, democratic participation and research into representation.

One of the ideas emerging from the visit was to explore a possible regional working group on electoral data and digital competencies, potentially convened with USM involvement. Such a group could examine how electoral information is collected, preserved, explained and made available for research and public understanding. The conversation will continue around the DCDC Network kick-off meeting on 10 to 12 November in Aruba, where colleagues from St. Martin can take part online.

Engaging civil society and heritage organisations

Civil-society organisations and members of the St. Martin Archives and Heritage Platform were invited to discuss their digital needs. Heritage organisations, community groups and families hold documents, photographs, recordings, stories and other sources that are important to the collective memory of the island.

However, many of these materials remain vulnerable. They may be stored on personal devices, in deteriorating paper files or in formats that may become inaccessible. Organisations may also be uncertain about what can be shared publicly, what requires consent and how culturally sensitive information should be protected.

The discussion therefore went beyond technology. It addressed questions of trust, ownership, consent and the right of communities to participate in decisions about how their knowledge is used.

The DCDC Network can support this work through training in digital preservation, documentation, research data management, responsible sharing and the use of reliable online research resources. The network should not remove knowledge from local custodians. It should strengthen their ability to protect, describe and share that knowledge on conditions they understand and help determine.

Private-sector perspectives

Private-sector professionals were invited to share their perspectives on information management, digital services, legal responsibilities and the practical skills required in their work.

Businesses and professional service providers manage sensitive information and must respond to growing expectations concerning data protection, cybersecurity, digital recordkeeping and continuity of operations. They may also provide expertise, technology and training that can strengthen the wider network.

The discussion demonstrated that the private sector should not be approached only as a possible source of funding. Businesses and professionals are potential knowledge partners who can contribute practical experience while also benefiting from regional training and cooperation.

Including students and community learners

Information sessions were also organised for USM students and community participants. These discussions helped connect the DCDC Network to everyday questions: How do we know whether online information is reliable? How do we preserve our family histories? How do businesses protect their information? How can students gain the skills needed to conduct research and participate in a digital society?

Digital competence must be accessible to people with different levels of experience. The DCDC Network is not intended only for data scientists or university researchers. Students, teachers, librarians, public servants, community organisations, professionals and interested citizens should all be able to participate.

From consultation to concrete action

The visit confirmed that St. Martin does not have one single digital-competence need. Different organisations face different challenges, but several common priorities emerged:

• responsible management and sharing of research and institutional data;
• digitisation and long-term preservation of records;
• privacy, consent, ownership and information security;
• reliable access to public and statistical data;
• disaster-resilient storage and continuity planning;
• digital research skills for students, professionals and communities;
• stronger connections among institutions facing similar problems;
• practical training based on locally identified needs.

The next step is to convert these discussions into an organised follow-up process. The information gathered should contribute to the DCDC stakeholder map, baseline survey, training programme and the formation of member-led working groups.

Not every issue raised during the visit can be resolved directly by the DCDC Network. Some matters require institutional decisions, legal advice, investment or collaboration with specialised partners. Being clear about these boundaries is important. The network should promise only what it can realistically support, while helping organisations identify appropriate partners for needs outside its mandate.

Building the network together

The working visit demonstrated the importance of face-to-face dialogue. Digital cooperation ultimately depends on human relationships, trust and a willingness to share knowledge.

The St. Martin node should not be built around one institution or one individual. It must connect the university with government, archives, libraries, businesses, civil society, researchers, students and communities. Each participant brings knowledge, and each has needs that others may be able to help address.

The DCDC Network invites organisations and individuals in St. Martin to help shape this process. The starting point is simple: identify one practical problem involving research, data, digital preservation, access to information or digital skills. From there, we can determine what knowledge already exists, what support is needed and what we can build together across our islands.

The slides used in the working sessions, “St. Martin and the Dutch Caribbean Digital Competence Network”, presented by Raymond Jessurun and Rendell de Kort: download the presentation (PDF, 16 slides).

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