One of the main goals of our active citizenship work is making sure that data is widely accessed and used not just by governments but by citizens. We cannot achieve true data democracy when citizens are not involved in an active way in the data life cycle. We need to move away from only seeing…
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Sabasi, our innovative and simple-to-use data collection tool will be going through a series of upgrades throughout the month of February. It has been exciting to witness the platform’s success, and we are committed to providing our users with the best possible experience. As we grow and thrive together, it is now crucial that we…
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The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) continues to lead the way in championing Citizen Generated Data in Kenya. On 22nd November the KNBS inaugurated their Technical Working Committee on Citizen-Generated Data (CGD) to strengthen stakeholder collaboration in adoption of quality CGD as an alternative source of data for official reporting where data gaps exist,…
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Africa, with its tapestry of cultures and a history as old as time itself, is now amid a digital awakening. Stepping into the data era with purpose, it’s time we asked ourselves, “How do we take control of our digital narrative?” Multinational corporations are setting up the data rules—much like someone else dictating how we…
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In our ongoing journey to educate communities through data-driven initiatives, the Open Institute remains committed to supporting Nandi County. Our latest endeavor involves the systematic update of the Nandi county’s data desk, with a phased approach centered around key sectors: Health, Education, and Agriculture. Data Transformation in Phases Our project kicked off in October with…
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Traditionally, data collection initiatives have often been top-down, with external organizations setting the agenda and citizens responding reactively. In the traditional model, institutions play a central role in defining what data is collected and how it is collected. Citizens are seen as respondents, participating in data collection exercises initiated by others. While this approach is…
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In 2015, we did some work to try and see what citizens care about enough to act and be engaged with the government. We had a simple goal – to stimulate active citizenship and foster responsive government using data to aid communities to provide input into government activities. This project showed us that citizens cared…
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Nandi County is again in the spotlight, basking in the glory of its remarkable achievements. On September 6th, Nandi County received an impressive win for the 2023 Open Government Award in the Digital Technologies category for Africa and the Middle East. This award, warmly received by the Deputy Governor, Dr Yulita Mitei, clearly demonstrates their…
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This week, we join counties in celebrating a decade of devolution – ten years since Kenya’s 47 counties came into being. The counties were established under the 2010 Constitution, but were actualised after the 2013 general elections. At those elections, Kenyans elected 47 new governors for the first time. Scenes from the 2023 Devolution Conference…
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Goal 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) explicitly recognizes the importance of data in strengthening the means of implementation of the global partnership for sustainable development. It highlights the need to improve the availability of high-quality, timely, and reliable data. The availability of real-time data helps governments make more informed decisions that are based…
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