Can resident-led technologies enhance public services? My experiences from PRASA

Author: Daniel Moody (PDG Consultant - Development Practitioner I Researcher I Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist)

How can community-led technology be leveraged to support and strengthen public services in South Africa? In the context of the digital revolution currently underway, this is a fascinating question and one I seek to explore in this article. In light of personal experiences using Metrorail train services in Cape Town, I have found, and would argue, that simple and accessible technologies, such as WhatsApp, have an important role to play in supporting, strengthening, and even democratising public services and how everyday commuters interact with them. Such technologies, available to a significant portion of the population, can bolster engagement with public entities and can potentially complement and strengthen community-based monitoring (CBM) systems. From my professional and experiential point of view, such elegantly simple systems should be integrated to better support public sector services and communication platforms.?

WhatsApp in South Africa

How we communicate in 2024 is fundamentally different from past generations. Perhaps more than any technological innovation in human history, communication advancements are changing the very fabric of society, resulting in both positive and negative outcomes. Novel communication methods can also play a significant role in supporting and strengthening community relations with government, facilitating the sharing of information, and enabling feedback and consultation. For example, 1 in 3 respondents considers social media to be a convenient platform for monitoring public service delivery. When thinking about such platforms, especially in the context of South Africa, WhatsApp immediately comes to mind. With over 2 billion users globally, few platforms have experienced the same level of penetration and adoption as WhatsApp. South Africa, as we know, is no exception, with 94% of internet users in the country using the app. Put simply, WhatsApp dominates South African communication.

PRASA

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) tends to be in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Most would agree that the agency, like many state-owned entities (SOEs), has been in a state of decline in terms of operational efficiencies, infrastructural integrity, and overall public service offerings. While there are some reasons to be optimistic (the reintroduction of five important rail networks as well as the ongoing introduction of a modernised fleet of locally manufactured trains), doubts persist as to the future of PRASA as the driving force of passenger rail in South Africa. Indeed, pressure is mounting from municipalities, notably the City of Cape Town, to devolve train services to capable local governments that are arguably better placed to operate such services. For the average commuter, operational dysfunction and underinvestment have resulted in a reduced train service, characterised by unreliability, and, regrettably, pushing passengers to alternative modes of transport.

Technology on the train

Against this backdrop, over the past year I have been using the train service (southern line) to commute to work. Besides being impressed with PRASA’s overall services, despite the odd signal failure, I have experienced firsthand the important role of platforms such as WhatsApp in passengers's day-to-day usage of the service. Indeed, being late for a train has its upsides, with a PRASA official at the station informing me about a community-run WhatsApp group servicing the southern line. I was soon added to the WhatsApp group entitled “Metropolis South Line," an 850-member-strong platform that was created by commuters for the sole purpose of providing live updates and train-related incidents. Being commuter-led, and given the direct effects of such incidents, commuters have a vested interest in contributing to the platform, highlighting the practical nature of the platform for the average commuter. As a train commuter, I find this group to be of immense value.

Indeed, in the event of delays and disruptions, the group offers valuable insight into the nature of the delay or disruption and the extent to which this affects commuters. Having such information is crucial, as it allows commuters to seek alternative travel arrangements where necessary. Outside of such platforms, access to such information is not readily available to the average commuter. Speaking from experience, I have, on occasion, arrived at the station to begin my commute only to be notified of a service delay or disruption. Had I consulted the WhatsApp group, this would not have been the case. As such, from a practical point of view, this platform effectively communicates instances of service delays and disruptions and is useful in keeping commuters informed of the daily operations of the PRASA network.

Commuting via the train, being part of the WhatsApp group, and working in the public service sector have got me thinking about the role of such platforms and how they are, and can be, used to support and improve such services. To my mind, such platforms have the potential to strengthen and support public sector services such as passenger rail. The real-time nature of the platform allows participants to continuously monitor and, potentially, provide feedback on public services, a dynamic that moves away from traditional, static, and costly forms of communication and feedback loops. In such ways, these WhatsApp platforms may act as potential community-based monitoring (CSM) tools.

Moreover, the fact that WhatsApp is a simple, well-known, and low-cost platform works in its favour. There is no budget for running this service. There are no exorbitant costs or fees needed to operate such a system. It is community-led and, as such, is not dependent on funding or an administration team. Its simplicity is what makes it function as it does! Indeed, as a commuter-led and commuter-focused platform, this innovation should be seen as an example for other public transportation and other public services to learn from.

Given their current and potential effectiveness, I am of the view that such platforms could be better leveraged by public entities that are seeking to strengthen their services within the confines of limited budgets and resources. Such platforms offer public service providers simple platforms that grant immediate, easy, and unique access to end-users. Such access, in my view, can be leveraged to better understand how the service is perceived, what the specific needs and challenges of the end-user are, and how best the service can be refined and delivered. One can envision similar platforms that exist to support other public services, e.g., home affairs where access to information regarding a particular service and on a particular day is readily available. Public entities should, therefore, consider how they can support or enable such platforms. As society moves rapidly into the digital age, governments need to leverage digital innovations to maintain relevance and ensure residents are provided with the best services possible.