1354 al., 2019). This productive model coexists with critical social indicators, where food insecurity affects 36.7% of the department's population, highlighting the fragility of social protection networks (Furnaro & YanguasParra, 2022). In this scenario, the decline in extractive activity is identified as a determining factor for the socioeconomic stability of the territory. The current state of the transition in the territory is marked by the abrupt cessation of operations by the Prodeco Group in 2021, derived from the resignation of its mining titles. This event resulted in the loss of 4,500 direct jobs and affected approximately 15,000 people linked to the service chain indirectly (DANE, 2024; Cardona, 2024). Likewise, the withdrawal left the execution of environmental liabilities and forestry compensation plans in the Serranía del Perijá in a follow-up phase, highlighting the technical and social challenges that arise from an accelerated exit of thermal coal mining operators. This experience highlights the risks of an unplanned exit and underscores the need to implement a governance model that anticipates these transformations, preventing the transition from becoming an irreversible social crisis. 2. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE Responding to this need, the central objective of this paper is to propose a territorial governance model to manage the critical challenges associated with the progressive phasing out of thermal coal mining in contexts of high economic dependence. It seeks to demonstrate that the transition should not be limited to the technical dismantling of the extractive operation but requires a knowledge management strategy based on data. This strategy is fundamental so that affected territories can plan their economic diversification and mitigate social impacts before the definitive cessation of mining activity fully materializes. In this sense, the scope of this study focuses on the implementation of the Observatories of Territorial Transformations (OTT) in the department of El Cesar. The paper analyzes how this knowledge management platform enables territorial governance through a modular and iterative methodology. The scope ranges from the rigorous collection of evidence to its social appropriation, demonstrating how the strategic use of information empowers local actors to lead the planning of their own development. 3. APPROACH The intervention strategy was based on the Observatories of Territorial Transformations (OTT) model, developed by the Insuco Center for Social Innovation (ICSI). This methodological framework functions as a knowledge management platform structured in three sequential and interdependent modules: 1) Monitoring of Transformations, focused on the technical collection of primary and secondary data; 2) Social Appropriation, designed to socialize information and encourage its use by local actors; and 3) Territorial Planning, oriented towards using such evidence for the construction of future scenarios and strategic roadmaps. The application of this sequence seeks to transcend technical diagnosis to enable evidence-based decision-making processes. Module 1, established the technical baseline through a stratified probabilistic sampling design applied to 1,623 households in the municipalities of La Jagua de Ibirico, El Paso, and Becerril between November and December 2023, with a margin of error of ±2.4% (ICSI, 2024). For collection and systematization, ODK Collect mobile technology integrated into the ONA data management system was used, allowing for real-time information validation. Complementarily, the qualitative component processed information from 31 semi-structured interviews and 2 focus groups using Atlas.ti software, applying grounded theory to identify analytical categories regarding local perception of the transition. Module 2, focused on the return and social use of findings. Through an alliance with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and the Development and Peace Program of Cesar (PDPC), the "Territorial Narratives" methodology was implemented (ICSI, 2025). This process included cycles of workshops with civil society, the private sector, and public institutions to contrast technical data with local
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