What Happened
The board of directors of Panama’s Instituto Técnico Superior Especializado (ITSE) has approved a new rulebook that allows the reelection of its educational manager, updating the procedure used to fill one of the institution’s top posts. The regulation replaces the rules in force since 2021 and was published in the Official Gazette on May 15.
According to the institution, the revision is intended to align the selection process with current legal requirements and to better define the terms and conditions for choosing the position. The stated goal is to reinforce transparency, meritocracy, and objectivity in a role that has become a focal point in the governance of the technical training center.
How the New Process Works
The regulation sets out two paths for the post. The first is the ordinary selection process, through an open public call for Panamanian citizens who meet the required profile.
The second is an extraordinary selection process, or reelection, which allows the current educational manager to remain in office for another four-year term. That option depends on a satisfactory performance evaluation and the support of an absolute majority of the board, meaning at least five votes.
Applicants must have at least 10 years of experience in administrative management and five years in education, be at least 35 years old, and hold Panamanian nationality. The document also bars people convicted of intentional crimes or offenses against public administration, as well as anyone with family ties up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or second degree of affinity with board members or deputy managers of the institution.
Scoring, Screening, and Public Oversight
The selection process will use a 100-point system divided into three stages: a preliminary evaluation worth 50 points, an interview worth 25 points, and a defense of an essay before the board worth 25 points. The three best-ranked candidates will move on to the final interview and evaluation phase.
The list of applicants will be published on the institution’s website, where citizens will have three business days to submit reasoned objections. That public review element gives the process a level of external scrutiny that matters for a state institution responsible for technical higher education and workforce training.
Why This Matters
ITSE plays an important role in Panama’s education and labor pipeline by preparing students for technical and specialized careers. Rules governing its leadership can affect not only institutional continuity, but also how the center is managed and how much independence it has in academic planning and administration.
The new regulation comes after a period of internal tension over the status of the educational manager’s post. Suzanne Sáez is currently serving as acting educational manager after the resignation of Milena Gómez Cedeño, who stepped down following disputes over decisions by the board.
Gómez Cedeño had been appointed after winning a public merit-based competition for the 2021-2025 term. She later said her appointment was extended to 2029 after formal performance evaluations approved by the board. Her resignation letter, dated January 21 and received by the institution the following day, cited concerns that board actions had turned the post into one subject to free appointment and removal.
The latest regulation, approved on May 15 through resolution ITSE-CD-007-2026, now formalizes both reelection and open competition within the same framework. For Panama’s education sector, the next key point will be how the board applies the new rules if a permanent appointment process moves forward.