As countries chart bold digital futures, they are designing ambitious plans for policy, regulatory guidelines, and technical architectures that will support their goals and vision. Behind these plans lies a critical question: how to bridge the gap between plans and practice?
When it comes to implementation, many rely on external providers, often large software companies, based in the US or Europe – rather than tapping into a wealth of available and adaptable solutions. Oftentimes, this is simply because they are not aware of the digital solutions available and in the ways they can be helpful.
We developed the Digital Impact Exchange to help address that implementation gap. The Exchange helps governments and other actors understand how to leverage existing proven technology solutions. By providing a rich set of information about open source software platforms, it can help digital development actors identify tools they could customize and use, rather than building systems from scratch or relying on big tech firms for their implementations. And, these solutions can be implemented by local partners, creating lasting digital models that bridge the gap between vision and execution.
Recently certified as a digital public good, the Exchange allows users to find – and utilize – innovative digital solutions.
The Exchange aggregates data from a number of different sources to provide comprehensive information about digital solutions that have been developed across multiple sectors, from health to agriculture, to financial services and foundational infrastructure like identity and data exchange systems. The platform also provides a library of common use cases, which aid in understanding what technologies are needed to implement these projects. Plus, it has many other features, including our Resource library, Playbooks, RFP Radar, and Vendor Storefronts.
Our goal is to provide a digital space that allows people to see what tools are being used and where, who is implementing them, as well as to provide helpful resources that support digital development actors in their work.
This is why we are thrilled that the Exchange has been certified as a digital public good by the Digital Public Goods Alliance, acknowledging its ability to foster adaptable, sustainable digitalization – for the good of people and communities. We believe that this achievement will help the Exchange grow in its use, and critically, its impact. And, we are building new features that will allow the platform to better serve both governments as well as sectoral actors.
Today, we’re helping others create their own versions of the exchange, expanding its reach – and impact.
Our team has been developing functionality within the Exchange that allows organizations to develop their own custom versions of the Exchange. Over the past year, we have established partnerships with Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), and the UN International Computing Centre (UNICC) to create their own “Exchange,” cataloging solutions, use cases, and other resources that are relevant to their work. This allows the respective organizations to highlight trusted and vetted solutions and support their partners in making informed decisions about which products are best suited for their needs.
We believe that this customized model will also be valuable to country governments and regional entities, allowing them to map the digital ecosystem in their country or region. This can help break down siloes between ministries, allow for greater cooperation and collaboration, and speed the implementation of new projects. For example, the Exchange allows a government actor to quickly identify what digital solutions would be needed for a particular use case, identify places where some of these solutions have already been implemented within the country, and perform a gap analysis.
We are excited about the future of the Exchange as a digital public good and believe that with this new customizable offering, both governments and sectoral actors can use the platform to allow for more local control. And, just as importantly, with its ability to highlight locally-built digital tools and solutions, the Exchange can uplift partnership and innovation – both key to closing the implementation gap.
Keen to learn more? Get in touch – email us at info@dial.global or visit https://exchange.dial.global/
