This presentation discusses how governments have successfully improved data quality, used data for efficiency, and engaged citizens in policymaking. It provides examples of apps and hotlines that gather citizen feedback in real-time to identify problems. Data is then used by programs that predict disaster impacts and cut public sector costs. Engaging citizens involves campaigns on social media, meetings in rural areas via cameras, and responding quickly to feedback. Lessons include using other countries' successful schemes, responding rapidly to apps, opening data for public use, and building personal social media brands.

1. Lessons from Asia
Ideas You Can Use Today
By Joshua Chambers
Founder
GovInsider

2. This presentation will discuss
How governments have successfully:
1. Improved the quality of their data
2. Used data to improve efficiency
3. Engaged citizens in the policymaking process

3. 1. Gather Data: Feedback Apps and Offices
• Use Citizens to gather real-
time data for you
• Allows engagement with rural
areas
• Builds an immediate picture of
problems in a community
• Can track which departments
are most responsive to
feedback

4. Examples of systems that are working well
• Qlue, Jakarta
• Has a dashboard reporting results straight to the Governor
• Part of a broader system tracking metrics across the city like transportation
• OneService, Singapore – an exemplar for response times
• 8888, Philippines
• Not an app, just a hotline
• 1823, Hong Kong
• Combines phone line with an app
• Phones against Corruption, Papua New Guinea
• Shows the potential for SMS reporting

5. Using Social Media to Gather Data
• PetaBencana uses social media mentions
of flooding to track problems on an
interactive map
• At a time when the city experiences large-
scale flooding, this map is faster and more
accurate than traditional reporting
• People can share pictures using a
hashtag, but the system will also pick up
other mentions of flooding
• Social media posts are geolocated so it’s
possible to tell from tweets where
flooding is most intense, and use this to
scramble a response

6. 2. How to use your data
• Philippines has a system that can predict which areas have been
worst hit by a natural disaster by using Artificial Intelligence
• Project was built by Netherlands Red Cross and pulls in weather data,
windspeeds, rainfall and past incident reports
• Allows for much quicker assessment of damaged areas than
traditional measures – where houses are manually assessed
• Quicker response times means quicker aid
• This project is expanding overseas

7. Hong Kong SAR slashed public sector costs
• Call centre data showed that one
government mailout was causing a huge
number of complaints
• When the team spotted this, they called
people who had complained and asked
about the problem
• They found that the message was
confusing, and a particular sentence was
making people worried about their student
loans
• The mailout was rewritten so that it was
clearer and had precise instructions. This
cut complaints by 47%.

8. 3. How to engage citizens
• Clean India a great example
• Celebrities, politicians, civil
servants all involved
• Used social media to allow
ordinary people to join in
• Like the Ice Bucket Challenge,
allowed personal shares, viral
campaign
• Shared an important message
- sanitation is everyone’s
responsibility

9. Reaching rural communities - Bhutan
• Virtual Zomdu initiative has cameras
installed in villages
• This enables MPs to hold town hall
meetings with remote communities
• Ensures regular sessions to connect,
and creates an event

10. Broader lessons from global leaders
1. Use what has worked elsewhere – many schemes can be copied
2. Respond – feedback apps need quick responses
3. Open up your data – let others use it too for transport apps or
tourism sites
4. Be personal on social media – first person messages work best
5. Build a brand by sharing videos about your country – show pictures,
videos of local athletes, make it like a news feed for citizens

11. Any questions?
Contact:
Joshua Chambers
Founder, GovInsider
joshua@govinsider.asia
+65 8681 4957