Code for All Dispatch —June 2019 Edition
Our monthly newsletter is one of the ways we keep up with each other and share resources, funding opportunities and challenges. Now, we’re opening it up to our wider community.
👋 Hello friend
Welcome to your June update from Code for All. It’s been awesome seeing some good conversations happening around the Code for All network, via Slack and our new peer-learning sessions, as well as in the broader civic tech community, with pieces like this one by Matt, Micah and friends.
There’s a lot of movement again both in and around the network — here’s what you need to know and where we need your help this month!
A quick note about this newsletter: Most of our member newsletter is dedicated to facilitating sharing and growth within the network, and so some links and content will be modified here, in the community version. In the spirit of openness, we’ve tried to leave as much as possible to show how we work.
You’ll see [members only] to indicate where a link or document has been removed that is restricted to members only.
⏰ Sixty Minute Sprint
Where you’ll find the stuff that’s most pressing for the network, which won’t ever be more than an hour of your time, total.
- Krzysztof is stepping down at the end of July 😭 Would you, your staff or someone from your community be interested in stepping up to the role? Hours are flexible and location is anywhere there’s a decent internet connection! Chat to Grace or Krzysztof if you know someone… [10 mins]
- Peer learning sessions — tell us what you want to learn and join the channels and calls. Details are in Slack or this post here. We’ve had one session on Selling to Government (led by Alvaro and Matt from Code for Australia) and our next one is on Good Project Flows (led by Yazmin Jumaali from Code for Africa). Don’t miss them! [15 mins]
- #inkinds — would it be interested in using User: “A full-stack marketing automation software for all your messaging and relationships with customers.” Krzysztof could try to get us some discounts for nonprofits, but would need to hear about your use cases. [5 mins]
✋ Hands up for help. If you want to put in some more time for Code for All this is where we’re most needing help. This month, we really need help spreading the word about finding a new Krzysztof. Grace really doesn’t want to be alone!
👪 Code for All Updates
- NDI is inviting us (Alma, Adi, Denique / Matthew, Pm5 @ g0v) to Rightscon (June 11–14th / Tunis) to talk about a possible partnership [draft agenda — members only.]
- Krzysztof reframed our next NED proposal [members only] and pushed the evaluation deadline till September 2019, which gives us another few months with the current funding! 👏
- Grace released four articles: Why we’re backing Tech for Non Tech, Stories of Collaboration: Sinar Project x Local Partners, So you want to start a Code for and Stories of Collabration, Meet&Hack. Have a story idea for her / want her to write about your org? Let her know!
- g0v joined the Executive Committee! Welcome!
- Grace’s Civic Tech as a Process Framework got a lot of feedback. We’re starting to think about how we move it forward, perhaps into a measurement framework for the network. If you have any thoughts, we’d love to hear them.
- The Tech for Non Tech exchange, supported by Code for All, has just wrapped up. Read about it here, here, here, or here (in FIVE articles by Nao, in Japanese). Phew! We’re working on getting Nao’s English version out soon too.
📰 Member Updates
- Code for Canada 🇨🇦 fellows at the Public Service Commission of Canada helped introduce a brand new technology stack to the organization — no small feat in government! You can read all about the process here. In other C4C news, the team recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of their municipal civic tech and civic innovation program: Civic Hall Toronto!
- Code for Australia 🇦🇺 officially has a new Managing Director! We welcomed Matt Sawkill into our community a few weeks ago with an Open House, where he shared what’s next for Code for Australia. We also launched our new community program — Civic Makers — in Melbourne and have plans to kick off in Sydney soon!
- Code for NL 🇳🇱 is working with Gebruiker Centraal (“User Centred”, a community that promotes user centred design in government) to create NL Design System, a government wide community, open source design system, and component library for the creation of better government digital services. In November there will be the “Design in Government” conference in Rotterdam.
- ePanstwo 🇵🇱 together with partners from Digital Social Innovation project organize summarizing event in June, the New Urban Visions in Warsaw, Poland. Checkout summary from Personal Democracy Forum CEE held in April in Gdansk here and keynotes on YouTube.
- Code for Pakistan 🇵🇰 has completed and is now ready to launch the android app ‘Zeropoint’. The app will be a medium of communication between the citizens and administration of Islamabad. We are also now accepting applications for the 5th cycle of the KP Government Innovation Fellowship Program. We have started to collect problem statements for 5 more exciting projects with the KP government this year!
Reps — please hit reply and tell us about what’s happening in your organisation or jump in and add it to the next edition here [members only].
🚒 Member Challenges + Offers
In the spirit of peer learning and shared growth, here’s where you can post a challenge you’re facing (🔥) or offer of help (🧯) to others.
- 🧯 Code for All Peer Learning Session — Good Project Flows. Wondering what are the best tools and processes to take a concept to reality? Yazmin Jumaali from Code for Africa will be sharing her experiences this week (click to add to your calendar).
- 🔥 Code for All Peer Learning Session — Capturing Impact Through Storytelling. Have an amazing storyteller in your midst? Let us know if we can tempt them into sharing their insights through a peer learning session!
- 🔥 Code for Australia is looking for any and all resources on starting community programs (like the Brigade). Note: we’ve read all the ones listed on the CfAll website already… 😉
To respond to any of the offers or challenges above, get in touch with the representative for the organisation to find out more.
Or, add any challenges or offers you want to share to the next edition here [members only].
👓 Emerging Themes
This is where we identify common themes we’re seeing in the network.
- There are a number of new organisations forming or recently formed — including Code for Spain (idea stage), Code for Singapore (idea stage), Czechia.Digital (just launched) and CivicTechSweden (fully formed, just new on our radar). If you’d like to find out more about any of these groups, let us know and we can connect you — or reach out via Slack!
- Was 2016 the peak of civic tech? A new report by Matt Stempeck, Micah Sifry, Aliya Bhatia, and Sruti Modekurty give us comprehensive data and a story about the world of civic tech to date.
🔭 Funding Opportunities
This is where we share opportunities we’ve stumbled upon lately.
- Hlanganisa Institute for Development in Southern Africa — Call for Proposals [Southern Africa]
- Tech for Good — Digital Support Program and Tech vs Abuse [UK]
- Changing the Story — Programs for young people in post-conflict countries [SA, Kosovo]
- Engie — Urban Power & Clean Water Solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Canada Fund — inclusive governance, including diversity, democracy, human rights and the rule of law [Morocco and Mauritania]
- Africa Digital Rights Fund [Africa]
- For a hackathon on disaster relief or environment [US]
- Promoting STEAM education [Mexico]
🐰 That’s all folks!
If you’re hungry for more, here’s how you can find out what Code for All is working on and get involved.
- If you want to see what Code for All are working on, head over to Trello for our working notes or drop an idea for us here [members only].
- Our weekly planning calls and monthly retros are open for any to dial into to observe and provide feedback. Click here to see what’s coming up [members only] for the month and add yourself to the invite.
- Or read through and leave feedback on our latest ExCo minutes from 5th May [members only] and 21st May [members only]. The current ExCo members are g0v, Codeando México and Slashroots.
To get in touch with Code for All and tell us what you’ve been up to, hit reply to this email, find us on Slack (@kaymadejski and @grace).
Lastly — if there’s someone from your community who’s not getting these updates, but should be, you can subscribe them here.
Until next month — keep up the good work!
Team Code for All
(Krzysztof & Grace)
If you want these to land in your inbox directly, you can subscribe here. Dispatches are usually dispatched on the first Tuesday of the month.
If you have any suggestions or opportunities to share, my inbox is always open or you can find me on Slack (@grace) anytime.
