A presentation on Crowdsourcing initiatives in Bangladesh as part of public intent data centered around the World Bank Development Report 2021 : Data for Better Lives

1. Innovation in Citizen Generated
Public Intent Data via Crowdsourcing
ADITYA K MEHTA
1
HOW THE GOVERNMENT OF BANGLADESH IS ENCOURAGING
INNOVATION IN CITIZEN GENERATED DATA BY ATTEMPTING TO
LEVERAGE ITS VISION OF DIGITAL BANGLADESH

2. Agenda
- Objectives
- Scope
- Bangladesh : Economic & Social Landscape
- Data Literacy : Present Gaps
- Digital Bangladesh : Vision
- Public Intent Data : a2i
- Crowdsourcing : Innovation Model
- Crowdsourcing : Innovation Example
- Significance of Example : Trust, Value & Equity
- Data Governance Framework : 3 Acts
- Conclusions
2

3. Aim is to deepen a few core learnings from the World Bank Group Flagship
Report – the World Development Report(“WDR”) 2021 titled Data for Better
Lives
Demonstrate why and how the use of data is modifying the socio-economic
development landscape in Bangladesh
Discuss endeavours the Government has made and can make to promote
and strengthen a “culture of data” in this country
3
Objectives

4. Target Audience and What am I trying to Convey ?
I want to encourage dialogue among my peers, colleagues(who are part of the MOOC and have read
the report ) and the general public through sharing and discussion of a few key concepts in the report
What is “Crowdsourcing” ?
As per the World Bank World Development Report Data can contribute to development by improving
the lives of the poor through multiple pathways.
The top pathway is data created and used by civil society and academia to monitor and analyze the
effects of government programs and policies and by individuals to empower and enable them to access
public and commercial services tailored to their needs.
Civil society organizations themselves create public intent data by collecting surveys and crowdsourcing
information directly from citizens. A Crowdsourcing platform is a popular source of citizen generated
data wherein citizen generated data are one of the six types of public intent data.
4
Scope

5. 5
Bangladesh has the highest density dividend in
comparison to peers
GDP per sq km (USD million) (2019 to 2022 forecasted) 2
One of the
fastest growing
economies the world 1
26th
largest economy
by 2030 1
1 The World in 2030 (2018) – HSBC https://enterprise.press/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/HSBC-The-World-in-2030-Report.pdf
2 World Bank Open Data – The World Bank https://data.worldbank.org/
3 SPI Network Supporting SDGs – Social Progress Imperative https://www.socialprogress.org/SPI-Network-Supporting-SDGs.pdf
4 Sustainable Development Report 2021 – Sustainable Development Report https://dashboards.sdgindex.org/profiles/bangladesh
Nutr ition & Basic M edical Car e Access to Basic Knowledge Per sonal Rights
2 3 4 1 5 16
Water & Sanitation Access to Info. & Com m unication Per sonal Fr eedom & Choice
6 12 9 16 17 3 5 8 10 16
Shelter Health & Wellness Inclusiveness
3 7 11 3 5 10 11 16
Per sonal Safety Envir onm ental Quality Access to Adv. Education
3 16 9 12 13 14 15 4 9
Basic Hum ans Needs Foundations of Wellbeing Opportunity
Legend Key
1 No Poverty 7
Affordable & Clean
Energy
13 Clim ate Action
2 Zero Hunger 8
Decent Work & Eco.
Growth
14 Life Below Water
3
Good Health &
Wellbeing
9
Industry, Innovation &
Infrastructure
15 Life on Land
4 Quality Education 10 Reduced Inequalities 16
Peace, Justice & Strong
Institutions
5 Gender Equality 11
Sustainable Cities &
Com m unities
17 Partnerships for the Goals
6
Clean Water &
Sanitation
12
Responsible
Consum ption &
Production
While Bangladesh continues to make significant strides on the economic front due to its
population and purchasing power, its social progress still faces significant or major challenges
Through the Lens of the Social Progress Index Framework 3 4
Bangladesh : Economic & Social Landscape
Legend Key
SDG Achieved
Challenges Remain
Sig. Challenges Remain
Major Challenges Remain
Info. Unavailable

6. Digital Literacy Index (DLI)
6
Digital
Access
Digital
Skills
Phone Communication
Computer Information
Internet Problem-
Solving
2 out of 6,500
households scored
1.0
50% scored <0.25
(n = 6,500
households) 5
Males are twice as likely to be the Most Digitally Abled Person
(MDAP) than females among rural households (HHs)
Higher education among the <45 age bracket tends to enhance
digital ability
Digital Divides 6
5 Digital Literacy of Rural Households in Bangladesh (2020) – BRAC Institute of Governance & Development https://bigd.bracu.ac.bd/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Working-Paper_Digital-Literacy-of-Rural-Households-in-Bangladesh.pdf
6 Policy Brief: Digital Literacy in Rural Bangladesh, Survey 2019 – BRAC Institute of Governance & Development https://bigd.bracu.ac.bd/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Policy-Brief_Digital-Literacy-in-Rural-Bangladesh.pdf
Most rural households are not digitally abled thus depriving them of obvious opportunities and
benefits; more glaring among women or lesser educated or older age bracket
Figure: MDAP among gender, education, and age groups 6
Data Literacy : Present Gaps

7. Govt.’s election manifesto of 2008 laid the foundation for Digital
Bangladesh and defined goals for 2021. The election manifesto of
2014 took the foundation forward and defined goals for a developed
Bangladesh by 2050.
2021 marks Bangladesh’s 50th year of independence. Vision of an
equitable society enabled through technology. 8
Government seems committed to “Digital Bangladesh” and
leveraging IT/ITES for achieving sustainable development goals
(SDGs), creating employment for all and moving Bangladesh
towards a developed economy by 2050.
Core commitment to alleviate poverty and reduce corruption
through digitizing most public services. Subsequent example covers
these aspects.
Various Projects
A2i (our focus)
Empathy trainings to government officials to create a culture innovation and
ICT trainings for the public
Plan for 28 Hi-Tech parks 9
Country-wide broadband 10 and mobile
7
Digital Bangladesh : Vision
Digital
Government
Human
Resource
Development
IT
Industry
Promotion
Connecting
Citizens
7 Invest in Digital Bangladesh – Government of Bangladesh https://investindigitalbd.gov.bd/page/digital-bangladesh-vision-2021
8 OP-ED: Digital Bangladesh: What it is and what it isn’t’ – Dhaka Tribune https://www.dhakatribune.com/opinion/op-ed/2020/12/12/op-ed-digital-bangladesh-what-it-is-and-what-it-isn-t
9 About Us – Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, Government of Bangladesh http://bhtpa.gov.bd/site/page/b75f7889-05c8-446e-9a7b-8e5d1e2f339a/About-us
10 Tk 58.83b digital connectivity project passes China evaluation – The Financial Express https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/trade/tk-5883b-digital-connectivity-project-passes-china-evaluation-1636085078
Digital
Bangladesh
Figure: The Four Pillars of Digital Bangladesh 7

8. Ensure easy, affordable and reliable access of digitized public services to citizens through empowering civil
servants and citizens with funding and incubation.
Initiatives
One-Stop Shop – Providing access to public services through digital centers reducing time, cost, and visits
Data 2 Policy – Enabling policy makers to monitor progress at national/constituency level through ensuring
data accessibility for evidence-based policy formulation
SDG Tracker Policy Reform Development Monitoring Open Data
Innovation Lab – Funding and incubation to government officers and citizens for digitization of
government services boosting accessibility, transparency, and accountability in public services
Innovation Fund Youth Innovation Agriculture Lab & Portal Skill Development
Digital Financial Services – Ensuring greater financial inclusion through DFS access points-powered
product and services innovation, rural e-commerce, policy and regulatory reform, and optimizing adoption
Impact
8
150
Essential
Services from
5865
digital centers 11
USD 8 Bn
citizen savings 13
6+ million
under-served citizens provided
with public services 11
11,000+
entrepreneurs created through PPP
model in Digital Centers 11
USD 420 Mn
transacted with 3900+ Agent Banking
Services in Digital Centers 12
11 One-Stop Shop – a2i, Government of Bangladesh https://a2i.gov.bd/one-stop-shop-2/#1510318258673-86e9e595-5997
12 Digital Financial Services – a2i, Government of Bangladesh https://a2i.gov.bd/digital-financial-services/
13 a2i –a2i, Government of Bangladesh https://a2i.gov.bd/
Public Intent Data : a2i

9. Crowdsourcing : Innovation Model
Notable Public and Private Partners 16
9
Government
,
Individuals
and
Civil
Society
New Inventions
Government’s
Public Service
Framework
Enhance Data
Reuse and
Repurpose
Mentorship
Support by
Academia
Public/Private
Sector
Partnerships
Better Policy
Making and
Service Delivery
Scaling via
Increased Business
Opportunities
Greater
Accountability
Implementation
Engine
Disseminating,
exchanging, and
sharing data to
enhance data reuse
and repurposing
The Social Contract : Value, Trust
and Equity
The developmental impact can be deepened by
combining and repurposing Public Intent Data
along with Private Intent Data.
Public Intent Data can improve service delivery,
targeting, accountability and empowerment
Private Intent Data can fuel growth and boost
development.
In this model, we can see that all three : Value
(system enables use and reuse of data), Trust
(rights and interests that stakeholders have in
data are safeguarded) and Equity (all share
equitably in the benefits of data) play an
important role
14 Innovation Lab – a2i, Government of Bangladesh https://a2i.gov.bd/innovation-lab/
15 A New Model for Crowdsourcing Innovation – Harvard Business Review https://hbr.org/2020/01/a-new-model-for-crowdsourcing-innovation
16 Partners –a2i, Government of Bangladesh https://a2i.gov.bd/partners/

10. Inspite the Govt. allocating billions of Taka
under the Social Safety Net Program for
underprivileged students, selection and
disbursement of funds was allegedly “hostage” to
a local union council chairman.
On recommendation by a government officer
(following an empathy training on innovation as
part of a2i), Dangirhat School & College and
Taragonj O/A Girls School & College (Rangpur
District) conducted a pilot test. They redesigned
school admission forms to include socio-
economic information. On notice and
verification, stipends were disbursed, via mobile
banking services, to the underprivileged
students.
10
17 Stipend disbursement in the simplified way– a2i, Government of Bangladesh http://a2i.gov.bd/blog/stipend-disbursement/
Crowdsourcing
Innovation : Example

11. Lack of Trust
Reduction in Value
Erosion of Equity
To some extent all were restored
Lacuna
- different purposes ?
- safeguards ?
- investments and regulations create a level playing field ?
11
Significance of example : Value, Trust & Equity

12. ICT Act 2006 18
Provide legal recognition and security of Information and
Communication Technology and rules of relevant subjects
within the ICT framework like cybersecurity, E-commerce
inter-alia
National ICT Policy 2009 19
Achieve transparency, accountability, responsiveness and
efficiency in the delivery of public services
Digital Security Act, 2018 20
Make provisions for ensuring digital security and
identification, prevention, suppression and trial of offences
committed through digital devices and for matters
ancillary thereto
12
Functions of
Data
Governance
ICT Act National ICT
Policy
Digital
Security Act
Strategic
Planning
Mapping
Governance
functions
Developing
strategies
Establishing
institutional
arrangements
Rule Making and
Implementation
Setting
Standards
Providing
clarification and
guidance
Legislating and
regulating
Compliance Enforcing Auditing
Arbitrating
Remedying
Learning and
Evidence
Backward
looking
M&E
Forward looking
learning and
Risk
Management
Innovation
Robust data protection is critical to building an integrated national data system. As the scope of such a system
expands, the economic, social, and development returns increase, as do the data protection requirements.
Data Governance Framework : 3 Acts
18 ICT Act 2006 – Government of Bangladesh https://samsn.ifj.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Bangladesh-ICT-Act-2006.pdf
19 National ICT Policy 2009 – Government of Bangladesh http://birolup.dinajpur.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/birolup.dinajpur.gov.bd/law_policy/a9219bbc_1901_11e7_9461_286ed488c766/en_382.pdf
20 Digital Security Act 2018 – Government of Bangladesh https://www.cirt.gov.bd/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Digital-Security-Act-2020.pdf

13. Conclusions
The key concept of a vision of a Social Contract for Data is centered around the three main themes of trust,
value and equity
 WDR 2021 : Data for Better Lives covers all aspects of this vision in detail
An integrated data system is built on an approach to data governance that is intentional, whole-of-
government, and multistakeholder. The steps needed to implement such a system depend on a country’s
data maturity. I did not delve into the maturity model in this artifact
Bangladesh has some distance to cover in terms of the socio-economic benefits being accorded to its poor
citizens because of stark data literacy gaps
Progress with respect to public intent and private intent data reusing and repurposing has been made in
patches : Digital Bangladesh, crowdsourcing innovation model and example
Progress is also being made towards developing a data governance framework
By building an integrated national data system, Bangladesh can realize the full value of data for
development in line with its Digital Bangladesh vision. The system should provide a framework for the
trustworthy, equitable production, flow, and use of data
13