Enhancing Citizen Participation in DPI: A Multistakeholder Dialogue

Explores enhancing citizen participation in DPI through a multistakeholder dialogue, highlighting roles of MDBs, government, CSOs, and the private sector.

Updated: Mar 28, 2025
video By Shahrayar Jawaid, Riham Moawad, Emmanuel Khisa, Snehal Basale

This panel discussion explores strategies for enhancing citizen participation in the development and implementation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). It highlights that placing citizens at the core and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders—including multilateral development banks (MDBs), governments, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector—is fundamental for creating effective and widely adopted digital solutions. The discussion provides insights into the specific roles each stakeholder group can play and shares practical examples from Egypt and India, emphasizing the need for citizen-centric design, diverse engagement methods, and continuous feedback loops.

Synthesized Summary

The core message of the panel is that meaningful citizen participation is non-negotiable for the success of DPI initiatives. This requires a concerted, multistakeholder effort where each actor plays a distinct but complementary role. MDBs, like the Islamic Development Bank, have evolved from focusing solely on technology to prioritizing people-centric approaches. Their role includes financing and providing technical assistance to governments, ensuring citizen input is gathered early in the design phase to foster “meaningful connectivity” and service usability, rather than just access.

Governments, exemplified by Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), are pivotal in driving engagement. Egypt’s “Digital Egypt” initiative demonstrates the need for multi-channel outreach (digital platforms, physical service centers, post offices, call centers) to overcome cultural barriers and reach diverse populations, including the non-tech-savvy, elderly, and persons with disabilities. Engaging citizens directly to understand their needs and co-design services based on empathy is crucial.

CSOs and donors, represented by the Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure (CDPI), are essential for governance and accountability. They help convene stakeholders, mobilize support, ensure inclusivity (“leaving no one behind”), track progress, advocate for consumer rights and data protection, and hold implementing partners accountable.

The private sector, illustrated by Suma Soft’s experience with India Stack and the ONDC network, must integrate citizen participation throughout the DPI lifecycle. This includes pre-implementation (gathering feedback on design, features, and policy implications), operational phases (providing user support and grievance mechanisms), and post-implementation (user acceptance testing, ongoing engagement for improvements and awareness campaigns to drive adoption). Addressing policy barriers identified through user feedback, as seen in the Indian ride-hailing example, is also key.

Key Learnings & Recommendations

  • Citizen Centrality: DPI and DPG initiatives must be designed with citizens at the core to ensure relevance and adoption [00:17], [02:21].
  • Multistakeholder Collaboration: No single stakeholder can drive DPI success alone; cooperation between MDBs, governments, CSOs, and the private sector is vital [00:45], [00:48].
  • MDB Role: MDBs should finance and guide DPI projects and policies to embed citizen participation from the outset, focusing on achieving “meaningful connectivity” and service utilization [01:47], [04:55], [05:48].
  • Government Engagement Strategy: Governments need comprehensive strategies using multiple channels (digital and physical) to reach all citizens, address digital literacy, manage culture change, and gather feedback [07:23], [08:01], [08:46]. (Riham Moawad)
  • CSO & Donor Role in Governance: CSOs and donors are crucial for ensuring DPI governance, inclusivity, accountability of implementers, and protection of citizen rights (e.g., data privacy) [11:12], [11:49], [12:40]. (Emmanuel Khisa)
  • Private Sector Lifecycle Engagement: Private sector actors developing DPI solutions should actively involve citizens in pre-implementation (design, policy input), operations (support), and post-implementation (testing, feedback for iteration) phases [13:17], [15:08], [17:43], [18:24]. (Snehal Basale)
  • Early and Continuous Input: Citizen input should be sought at the beginning of the design process and continue throughout the lifecycle to ensure solutions meet user needs and adapt over time [05:16], [15:08], [18:24].
  • Policy Adaptation: Feedback loops involving citizens and service providers (like the rickshaw unions) can identify policy barriers that need adjustment by regulators and government [15:45] - [16:18]. (Snehal Basale)

Key Consensus Points & Methodological Spectrum

  • Consensus Points:
    • Citizen participation is fundamental to DPI success.
    • A multistakeholder approach is necessary, leveraging the strengths of different actors.
    • Engagement should be citizen-centric and occur throughout the DPI lifecycle, starting from the design phase.
    • Inclusivity and “leaving no one behind” are critical principles.
  • Methodological Spectrum/Approaches:
    • Funding & Policy Guidance: MDBs providing finance and technical assistance incorporating citizen engagement principles.
    • Government Implementation: National programs (e.g., Digital Egypt) using multi-channel outreach (digital, physical centers, call centers) and targeted initiatives (GovTech labs).
    • Governance & Accountability: CSOs and donors focusing on convening, monitoring, ensuring rights protection, and holding actors accountable.
    • Private Sector Development: Solution providers engaging users (e.g., unions, end-citizens) in design, testing, policy feedback, and operational support (e.g., India Stack/ONDC mobility example).

Key Questions Addressed or Raised

  • Addressed:
    • What is the role of Multilateral Development Banks in enhancing citizen participation in DPI? [01:37]
    • What efforts is the Egyptian government undertaking for citizen engagement in its digital transformation? [06:27]
    • What is the role of donors and Civil Society Organizations in the DPI ecosystem regarding citizen participation and governance? [09:36]
    • How can the private sector effectively involve citizens throughout the lifecycle of developing and deploying DPI solutions? [12:53]
  • Raised (Implicitly or Explicitly):
    • How can cultural resistance to digital transformation be effectively managed? [07:35]
    • How can DPI initiatives ensure they achieve “meaningful connectivity” and high usage rates, not just technical availability? [04:55]
    • What are the best mechanisms for incorporating citizen feedback into policy adjustments for DPI? [15:45]
    • How can accountability be effectively ensured across diverse stakeholders in the DPI ecosystem? [11:49]

Stated or Implied Applications

  • Designing and implementing national digital transformation programs (e.g., Digital Egypt).
  • Developing specific DPI-based services (e.g., ride-hailing on open networks like ONDC).
  • Creating policies and regulations for DPI that are informed by citizen needs and potential impacts.
  • Establishing GovTech innovation labs and accelerators involving startups and citizen feedback.
  • Implementing digital literacy and awareness campaigns to support DPI adoption.
  • Building multi-channel citizen support systems (service centers, call centers, digital platforms).

Key Terminology Defined

  • DPI (Digital Public Infrastructure): Foundational digital systems enabling services (e.g., ID, payments, data exchange). (Context of discussion)
  • DPG (Digital Public Goods): Open-source software, standards, etc., for digital development. [00:19]
  • MDB (Multilateral Development Bank): International financial institutions supporting development (e.g., Islamic Development Bank). [01:40]
  • CSO (Civil Society Organization): Non-governmental groups working in the public interest. [09:39]
  • Meaningful Connectivity: Connectivity that enables effective use of digital services, beyond just access. [04:55]
  • GovTech: Technology applied to government operations and service delivery. [08:48]
  • ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce): An open network protocol initiative in India, mentioned in the context of the mobility/ride-hailing example. [14:47]

Timestamped Outline / Chapters

  • [00:00] - Introduction: Importance of Citizen Participation in DPI (Mariam Walid)
  • [01:03] - Panelist Introductions
  • [01:37] - Shahrayar Jawaid: Role of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs)
  • [06:27] - Riham Moawad: Egypt’s Government Efforts in Citizen Engagement
  • [09:36] - Emmanuel Khisa: Role of Donors and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
  • [12:53] - Snehal Basale: Role of the Private Sector and Citizen Engagement Lifecycle (Pre-implementation, Operational, Post-implementation)
  • [19:09] - Conclusion and Introduction to Breakout Sessions (Mariam Walid)

Key Points

  • Citizens are the core of DPI and Digital Public Goods (DPGs); their participation is crucial for success [00:17].
  • A multistakeholder approach involving MDBs, governments, CSOs, and the private sector is essential for effective citizen engagement in DPI [00:45].
  • MDBs play a role in funding and guiding policy to ensure citizen input is integrated from the design phase, aiming for 'meaningful connectivity' and actual service usage [01:47, 04:55].
  • Governments, like Egypt, must use diverse channels (digital platforms, service centers, call centers) and address cultural change to engage citizens effectively [07:23, 08:01].
  • CSOs and donors are vital for governance, accountability, ensuring inclusivity ('leaving no one behind'), and raising citizen awareness [11:12, 11:49].
  • The private sector should involve citizens throughout the DPI lifecycle: pre-implementation (design, policy feedback), operational (support), and post-implementation (testing, ongoing engagement) [13:17, 15:08].
  • Citizen engagement must start at the beginning of the design process, incorporating user perspectives and empathy to build effective services [05:16, 09:13].