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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In the grand scheme of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the spotlight often falls on national and global leaders making lofty promises. However, the real action, the actual implementation, happens at the grassroots level. It’s in the hands of mayors, governors, chiefs, and the local communities themselves. Unfortunately, the tracking and transparency needed to…
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We are proud to work with KNBS as they lead the Technical Working Group on Citizen-Generated Data. The Open Institute is proud to have played a role in Kenya’s progress in institutionalizing Citizen-Generated Data as part of the National Statistical System (NSS). Since 2015, the Open Institute has worked with communities in Nakuru North sub-county,…
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This week, we celebrate ten years since our founders started on a journey towards an open society that is managed by informed, fact-driven citizens. Here’s a fun factoid: our original name was going to be lengthy – The African Centre for Open Governance and Open Data (ACOGOD). As we start thinking about things we are…
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Today marks the start of the Global Goals Week 2022, a shared commitment between more than 170 partners in civil society, business, academia, and the UN system to accelerate action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially during the UN General Assembly High-level Week. Thousands of organisations and stakeholders congregate in hundreds of events worldwide to discuss ways…
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Mwanajuma Hamadi is a shy 24-year-old who lives in Shela, the old town of Malindi. On Saturday, October 23 2021, she was effusive in her words. “Sikuamini kwamba mimi pia naweza kuwa repota hata kama sikumaliza shule. Wajua mtu waona kama ambae maisha yasha kwisha kwa hiyo unang’angana tu.” (I could not have imagined that…
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When we started the Open Institute, we never imagined that it would achieve so much in such a relatively short time. Don’t get us wrong – our ambition was, and still is, humongous. We truly want to see a world where citizens are so active that they tell their governments what to do and how…
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When undertaking any project, it is important to note that it will usually involve multiple stakeholders; and each one potentially has the ability to speed up, slow down or completely obstruct the project’s progress. Most importantly, stakeholders play a role in ensuring steady progress, focusing on goals and improvement of the general quality of project…
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We at the Open Institute are very excited as just this week we witnessed the launch of Kenya’s first sub-national data desk in Elgeyo Marakwet County (EMC), famously known as the home of Champions. The launch day was a big deal for my co-founder, Jay Bhalla and myself in particular. A data desk is essentially…
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Working with citizens in Kenya, using data to identify their development needs and priorities, we have had the opportunity to learn many things. One of the biggest observations that we have had is that many citizens are woefully invisible in the spaces where decisions are reached on public activities that should better their lives. Many…
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