What are the main challenges and opportunities of digital governance for development?

2 The challenges of digital governance

However, digital governance also poses significant challenges for development, such as ensuring access and inclusion, protecting privacy and security , addressing power asymmetries and inequalities, managing complexity and uncertainty, and fostering institutional and behavioral change. For example, digital platforms can exclude or marginalize those who lack the skills, resources, or opportunities to use them, or who face discrimination or repression. They can also expose users to risks of surveillance, cyberattacks, or misuse of their personal data. Furthermore, digital tools can reinforce or create new forms of domination, manipulation, or conflict among different actors and interests, or generate unintended or negative consequences. Moreover, digital innovations can challenge existing norms, values, and practices, and require new capacities, cultures, and incentives to support them.

3 The opportunities of digital governance

Despite these challenges, digital governance also offers many opportunities for development, such as leveraging existing assets and networks, building on local contexts and demands, experimenting and learning from failures, and engaging in multi-stakeholder partnerships and coalitions. For instance, digital platforms can build on the existing infrastructure, institutions, and social capital of communities and organizations, and adapt to their specific needs and preferences. They can also enable users to test, iterate, and improve their solutions, and learn from their successes and mistakes. Moreover, digital tools can facilitate the involvement and collaboration of diverse actors and sectors, such as governments, civil society, private sector, academia, and donors, and create shared visions and goals.

4 The examples of digital governance

Digital governance initiatives have made significant contributions to development outcomes in a variety of contexts and domains. For instance, Estonia is renowned for its comprehensive and integrated system of digital services, such as e-identity, e-voting, e-taxation, e-health, e-education, and e-residency, which have improved the efficiency, convenience and quality of public administration. In Uganda, U-Report is a mobile-based platform that allows young people to voice their opinions and access information on issues that matter to them. It has also enabled them to influence decision-making and participate in civic affairs. Additionally, MajiVoice in Kenya is a web-based platform that allows customers of Nairobi's water utility to report complaints, track their resolution and rate their satisfaction. This has improved the responsiveness, accountability and performance of the utility.