Notes from Nairobi workshop on workshop on governing new and emerging digital technologies

Hey Tim, Niiiiice. Thanks.

Definitely with you on the “where do we go from here?”

It is funny. I thought that the strength of the OGP project was that one could go through all the “Member” commitments over the years and discover the most common ones (especially the digital stuff). Similar digital commitments pop up, so regularly, at a different time and place, which you’d expect (thankfully). Be a pretty boring world without the cultural differences. But the drivers of change (like participative instead if representative forms of governance) are identical in all modern democracies.

So, in order to understand the differences, I compare OGP member commitments to the local “National roadmaps”, like the UK one you’ve pointed at (thanks). Boy is that a sad one (compared to the one, from the GDS, I read over a decade ago).

Did you reflect on the “About this roadmap” section? Particularly paragraph 3

The creation of the CDDO has marked a new era of digital transformation in government, a hallmark of which is true collaboration and Permanent Secretary leadership for the Digital agenda

And paragraph 4.

This roadmap is for central government departments and does not directly apply to local government or the devolved administrations.

We can add, “and does not directly apply to citizens”.

And just to rub it in, inspect the list of Top 75 services, developed collaboratively by digital leaders across government, including the Permanent Secretary-level Digital and Data Board, focussing on high priority services for citizens and government.

Just as well we have the right sort of chaps making these lists of high priority services for citizens.

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