The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), in partnership with GiZ, the German development cooperation in Addis Ababa, held a virtual event to assess opportunities for leveraging technology for improved citizen engagement in development planning. The assessment was of opportunities that prioritise the insights, perspectives and input of citizens in the planning and implementation of national, regional and global development agendas.

Held on 9th July, the event was convened against a backdrop in which the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the challenges associated with the lack of inclusive growth and development globally. In many African countries, the pandemic has resulted in widening economic and social inequalities threatening the attainment of the goals of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This situation calls for a new paradigm and reconfiguration in development planning and implementation, leveraging technology for inclusive and meaningful citizen engagement in development processes particularly as countries try to build back better.

Mrs Estherine Lisinge-Fotabong, Director of Programme Innovation and Planning at AUDA-NEPAD explained that “To effectively empower citizens in socio-economic development post COVID-19, the public must have a greater say in shaping how policy design and innovation takes place and in selecting the best ways to support the processes. Transparency, participation, and public oversight are an integral and mandated part of all response, recovery and resilience measures.”

Mrs Fotabong also mentioned that citizen engagement is a priority of the current Chairperson of the African Union, H.E President Felix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, as outlined in his acceptance speech as African Union Chairperson.

Acknowledging the role of technologies and the importance of good governance, Mr Franz von Weizsaecker, Head of Data-Cipation Programme at GIZ stated that, “In the digital age, economies, societies, as well as governments are transforming at an unprecedented pace, with the African continent showing the highest digital growth rates worldwide. Good governance is the foundation for sustainable development. Therefore, we need to leverage these transformative forces towards improving rule of law, transparency, accountability, and meaningful participation.”

The critical role of civil society was also brought to the fore by H.E. Crispin Mbadu, Minister of Planning of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Minister declared that “The role of citizen participation in the implementation of the National Development Plan of DRC is very important, wherein civil society also plays a key role."

Minister Mbadu’s sentiments on civil society were echoed by Mr Vitalice Meja, Executive Director, Reality of Aid Africa Co-Chair of the GPEDC, who remarked that  “Civil Society in Africa needs to adopt more technology-driven approaches to cultivate real-time accountability in the implementation of National Development Plans,  Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030.

Also in attendance at the event was Mr William Carew, Executive Secretary of the AU-ECOSOCC Secretariat. The organisation will establish  National Chapters in all Member States in the near future, through which ECOSOCC will act as a one-stop-shop for popularising and supporting the domestication of Agenda 2063 and by extension the Sustainable Development Goals.

The event brought together perspectives of actors in the public, private and civic sectors, looking at emerging trends, challenges and prospects for a technology driven, inclusive participation approaches. It also provided an opportunity to share the concept for the African Union Citizens Engagement Platform (AU CEP), envisioned as a digital space with requisite digital technologies and tools for the provision of a comprehensive interactive information platform for citizens and various citizens’ groups to access information, interact and meaningfully engage governance and socio-economic policymaking processes of the African Union.

The AU CEP will be leveraged for the participation of citizens in the development of the second Ten-Year-Plan of the implementation of the Agenda 2063 and the SDGs.

The event closed with unanimous acknowledgement of the fact that the type of citizen participation aimed for should move from consultation to involvement.  To this end, AUDA-NEPAD aims to utilise data, and digital skills and tools in ways that engage citizens in decision-making at multiple levels and demonstrate that communities have a real voice and role to play in transformative development.