How Digital Tools Enable Human-Centred Government Policies
What you need to know
- Evidence and data drives the future of government
- Eficaz transformación digital de la administración pública integrates problem-driven, design-driven, and data-driven approaches
- Smart governments seek efficiency, effectiveness, inclusivity and resilience through evidence
- Governments in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs) can leapfrog more advanced economy governments through evidence-based governance.
1. Problem-Driven Approach: Addressing Real Challenges
Problem-driven governance focuses on identifying the root causes of societal and fiscal challenges rather than addressing symptoms. Policies become tailored to specific local contexts, ensuring relevance and impact.
Digital transformation plays a key role in this approach:
- Digital diagnostics: AI and analytics uncover systemic inefficiencies and highlight critical issues.
- Ejemplo: AI identifies underserved regions where social services fail due to manual errors.
- Citizen feedback loops: Mobile platforms enable citizens to report real-world issues, aligning governance with community needs.
- Ejemplo: Citizens report infrastructure issues (e.g., potholes, water supply) via geotagged mobile apps.
- Agile policy cycles: Technologies like Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) and digital twins allow small-scale pilots, real-time feedback, and iterative improvements
- Ejemplo: Digital twins simulate policies for public investments before real-world implementation.
Problem-driven approaches, supported by technology, enable governments to identify and address priorities while improving inclusive service delivery.
2. Design-Driven Approach: Human-Centred Solutions
Design-driven governance places citizens at the heart of public services. This human focus emphasizes co-creation, prototyping, and iteration to ensure policies and systems are accessible, effective, and equitable.
Digital transformation supports human-centred design through:
- Human-centred public services: Digital tools like AI and IoT simplify interactions with government systems.
- Example: Biometric identity enables service delivery for underserved populations, including those with limited literacy.
- Inclusive co-design: Marginalized groups provide input via digital tools to shape services that meet their unique needs.
- Ejemplo: Rural populations provide feedback on digital agriculture services via mobile apps.
- Prototyping and iteration: Digital twins allow governments to test solutions, reducing implementation risks.
- Ejemplo: Digital twins model urban transport systems, optimizing routes for efficiency and accessibility.
Design-driven approaches lead to user-friendly, culturally relevant public services that are equitable and effective.
3. Data-Driven: Leveraging Analytics for Precision
Data-driven governance enables evidence-based decisions through the collection, analysis, and use of reliable, real-time and trend data. Effective data analytics enables governments to predict trends, measure outcomes, and allocate resources efficiently.
By digitally transforming operations, governments can utilize:
- Real-time decision-making: Advanced analytics, IoT, and AI enable governments to track key indicators (e.g., tax revenues, welfare delivery, climate risks) in real time.
- Ejemplo: Governments use predictive analytics to identify fiscal risks, allowing proactive policy adjustments.
- Performance monitoring: Data dashboards provide transparency and track progress against policy goals, including SDGs.
- Ejemplo: Open data platforms display government planning, spending and results, ensuring accountability and building citizen trust.
- Smart resource allocation: Machine learning models optimize the allocation of public funds based on where they have the highest impact.
- Ejemplo: AI identifies schools and hospitals most in need of upgrades by analyzing performance and demographic data.
A data-driven approach improves accuracy, transparency, and adaptability, strengthening public trust.
Integrating the Three Approaches
As we have seen, each approach has benefits:
- Problem-driven ensures that governments focus on real challenges.
- Design-driven ensures that solutions are human-centred and inclusive.
- Basado en datos provides the precision and insights to implement and measure solutions effectively.
However the digital future of government lies in integrating problem-driven, design-driven, and data-driven approaches.
Practical Example: Digital Welfare Program in an Emerging Economy
- Problem-driven: AI maps inefficiencies in welfare delivery, identifying leakages and delays.
- Design-driven: Mobile apps co-create accessible welfare solutions for rural citizens.
- Basado en datos: Real-time dashboards track program performance, refining the system based on impact metrics.
Outcome: A streamlined, equitable, and efficient welfare program that adapts based on data and citizen needs.
Conclusión
The future of government will be shaped by evidence-based approaches that leverage technology to solve the right problems, design citizen-friendly solutions, and deliver measurable outcomes. In emerging economies, governments have a unique opportunity to overcome traditional barriers, improve resilience, and foster trust through technology-enabled governance.
To find out more about how FreeBalance’s government technology solutions y servicios de asesoramiento support government digital transformation, ponerse en contacto.