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This research report by Christopher Wilson from UNDP Oslo Governance Centre focuses on the use of ICTs in governance data in the Arab region. The study maps out the problems, monitors performance, and identifies general challenges. It presents findings from 27 national initiatives and 10 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, highlighting common themes such as the lack of coordination between offline and online activities, weak partnerships with government institutions, and the need to reach out to traditional media. The report also discusses the limitations of mobile phones in user engagement and the competition among ICT initiatives. The implications and questions raised include promoting and questioning data reliability and addressing issues of accessibility. Moving forward, the report emphasizes sharing knowledge across countries, promoting actionable data, and supporting local collaboration through partnerships and capacities.
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Comparative Research on ICTs and Governance Data in Arab Region Christopher Wilson, UNDP Oslo Governance Centre
ICTs & Governance Data • Broad scope • (sms surveys, big data, open government) • In the Arab Region • Mapping problems • Monitoring performance
General Challenges • Penetration • Representation • Proliferation and institutionalization
Comparative Research Report • 27 national initiatives • Generating, aggregating or disseminating data on governance • 10 semi-structured interviews • Background, • End users, • Platform, • Stakeholders, and • Impact
Common Themes • Impact metrics are a problem, but all self-reported positive impact • Transparency consistently stymied by political processes • There is a consistent lack of coordination between offline and online activity.
Common Themes • The majority of initiatives using ICT have weak partnerships with local and national government. • Government institutions are outdated, lacking the political will for reform, and operating with limited knowledge of contemporary ICTs. • Despite the lack of government capacity, mid-level civil servants may be allies for reform efforts.
Common Themes • The relationship to national media is highly varied • over-reliance on social media for outreach at the expense of other mediums. • Perceived need to reach out to traditional media. • attention of traditional media considered success. • The relationship between ICT projects and traditional media is increasingly symbiotic.
Common Themes • Internet exclusion & the promise of mobile phones. “Despite these efforts, mobile appears to have limitations, and did not result in large user engagement rates or repeat user conversions. The interviewees had theories [but] none of the interviewees had been able to conclusively isolate these challenges through field observations or research.”
Common Themes • Competition among ICT initiatives exists, and could be fracture reform efforts and reduce impact.
Implications & Questions • Promoting and questioning the reliability of data • Engaging in questions of accessibility
Moving Forward • Sharing across countries and contexts • Technology • Strategies • Partnerships and Capacities • Information on multiple platforms
Moving Forward (2) • Understanding Actionable Data • Accessible • Relevant • Manageable • For UNDP • Supporting local collaboration • Convening multi-stakeholder actors