Civic Tech Bootcamp
Some readings to start you off
In November we ran a Civic Tech Bootcamp as an introduction to the field. It was the first event in our Civic Tech Innovation Forum which took place at Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
In preparing for it I had to think about some key resources — readings, collections, research — that would help someone new to the field. So here’s a very provisional list which we will update from time to time — suggestions will be very welcome.
What is Civic Tech?
Rather than discussing definitions, a simpler place to start is with what people are doing that we or others are calling civic tech. We have developed a database which we launched in November that aims to list all civic tech initiatives in South Africa. You can explore the database at http://civictech.africa/database/. All of the major initatives in South Africa that we know about are listed there and it also includes information on which organisations are leading them. If we have missed out any please tell us.
You could also look at this new international civictech guide which lists a lot of initiatives in the global north and some from Asia, Latin America and Asia (though none from South Africa yet — hopefully we can fix that soon!).
You could also read Civic Tech in the Global South co-edited by Tiago Peixoto, one of the people who spoke at this year’sCivic Tech Innovation Forum. Its a (free) collection of case studies from Africa, Asia and Latin America which gives a good overview of what is being done and what the issues in the field are.
Who can use civic technologies?
Almost any civic tech initiative has to consider the intended users. The field has grown as use of mobile phones and the internet has increased in South Africa. Mobile technologies have spread extraordinarily quickly across the continent and reach more people than electricity. But that doesn’t mean everyone has access to them. In South Africa though more than eight out of ten adults have a mobile phone, smartphone use is much less and only 54% of South Africans use the internet. You can read the latest high quality quantitative research on mobile and internet use in South Africa conducted by Research ICT Africa as part of the AfterAccess project in their policy paper on ICT adoption in SA (pdf). Even when people are connected, their connections are often frugal and fragile which needs to be taken into account in designing civic tech initiatives. You can also read about our research on how those on low incomes are less connected even when they use the internet. The full report is available here (pdf).
How should you design a Civic Tech initiative?
Research shows that many civic tech projects fail to meet their objectives. There are a few common problems. First — uptake — not enough people use the technologies. Second — responsiveness — even where they do use the tools, little social, economic or political change follows. And third — technology failures — the tech itself doesn’t do what is required.
Our own research suggests that often people are ‘re-inventing the flat tyre’. Making the same mistakes that others have already made.How can you avoid these problems? Research suggests that you should try and find others who are doing or have done similar work and get their input. Also before you build something new you should find out whether there are existing tools that already exist. You may find an online (open source) guide Alidade.tech — built by The Engine Room and based on research conducted in South Africa and Kenya — useful. It helps you go through an evidence based planning process in designing your civic tech initiative.
Join a learning community
We believe that there are significant opportunities for applying digital technologies to improve governance, accountability, and collective voice in South Africa. But we are much more likely to succeed in delivering on those opportunities if we connect with each other, share our experiences and collaborate to improve outcomes. The Civic Tech Innovation Network is one place to come to connect with others in the field. Subscribe to our newsletter to find out about events, keep up with research and discover what others in government, civil society and the private sector are working on.
