Category: Digitalisation & Communication

Development of Covid-19 recovery solutions at municipal level in the area of digitalisation

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To support digitalisation capacity building in cities and municipalities, four intensive workshops were conducted with urban practitioners and relevant representatives throughout SEE. The workshop consisted of two parts: a learning activity, followed by collective work. These events took place online, using Miro and video conference tools, with 2-4 facilitators. 

Watch video at YouTube ansehen:

https://youtu.be/3D3F4iKCENY

More: Digitalisation: Developing your own ideas based on international practice – Insights into the work of the Digitisation Working Group in South Eastern Europe

Southeast European (SEE) Regional Network continues exchange on recovery methods and practices

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A total of up to 100 urban practitioners and experts participated in the Network Events held on behalf of Connective Cities international network initiative and Covid-19 Program. Two separate events held on 12th of November and 13th of December 2021, served as final big get-togethers of the year 2021 for the SEE Network members, leaving them with some food for thought and the floor for exchanges widely open for an upcoming year.

First Event on November 12, 2021 – “Connective Cities virtual exchange discussing the Southeast European Network’s development and presenting good municipal practices in the area of digitalization and crisis management” – was devoted to supporting peer-to-peer exchange and gathering municipal representatives, as well as field experts, to discuss crisis management and digitalization experiences, existing challenges, and to explore how scale-up strategies could be enhanced to meet crisis-induced demands. To cover these topics, the event was divided into three parts ensuring representation of all types of interaction as well as exchange. The web-seminar featured a Keynote speaker, who focused on COVID-19 and long-term challenges for territorial policies, followed by 3 case-study presentations on municipal responses to COVID-19 in terms of digitalization and crisis management from Melitopol (Ukraine), Tbilisi (Georgia) and Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – these examples demonstrated diverse practices taken up by each municipality during recent times. A panel discussion about the importance of digitalization for efficient crisis management at local governance level amid COVID-19 served as a closing ground of the event, ensuring an all-encompassing discussion on challenges, visions and possible peer-to-peer exchanges in the regards of topics discussed all throughout the day.

Recording and resources of the first session can be found on Connective Cities Platform here.

Building. Forward. Better

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We look back on an eventful year. Hopes of getting the Corona pandemic under control quickly fizzled out. The World Climate Conference cast its shadow ahead, only to end with a mediocre result. Despite, or perhaps because of, these setbacks, experts at the municipal level intensified their cooperation to better meet the challenges of the pandemic and climate change. Our networks expanded, project proposals became more concrete, working groups more agile, and some “champion municipalities” are themselves doing much to move the networks forward. It is time to pause for a moment, look back and dare to look forward to the future. Our coordinators of the regional networks in South Eastern Europe, the MENA region and Sub-Saharan Africa describe this from their own personal perspective.

The Future of the Southeast Europe Region – by Irakli Samkharadze and Elene Samukashvili

As the year comes to a close Connective Cities Southeast European Region celebrates achievements of every concurrent Learning and Peer-exchange processes held with the support of urban practitioners, experts, consultancies and technical personnel from all over the world.

Activities under Learning Processes on Climate Resilient Urban Development and Sustainable Urban Energy Planning, underway in SEE region will continue into the upcoming year with an updated roadmap. We will proceed with expert missions, financial advisory and project proposals polishing support, in close synergy with financial institutions. This support will be provided for projects identified through Dialogue Events and Planning Workshops held in past two years.

In 2021 under Connective Cities COVID-19 Programme, Southeast European Region (SEE) gathered amazing and motivated professionals from all over the region who worked in two directions of Crisis Management and Digitalisation. As of new year, Programme Teams aims to maintain the close contact with the groups, through the Network, providing them with further news, updates and guidance.

As the network of the region is constantly expanding, planned activities are also amplifying and growing in their directions and frequency. 2022 promises to be a very active and highly engaging time for the network. Our topics include but are not limited to Sustainable Urban Development, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, Urban Planning, Green Technologies, Infrastructure and recovery, Crisis management & Digitalisation, while also constantly looking into new directions according to preferences of Network Members and political Developments in the region.

Kontakt: Irakli Samkharadze (irakli.samkharadze@giz.de)

Sub-Saharan Africa – an outlook to 2022 – by Sophia Kamau

We have braved another year of virtual learning, networking and finding solutions to our urban challenges. Thank you for being part of this journey by sharing good practices, challenges, contacts and expertise.

We look over the skies into the endless opportunities that time gives and envision 2022. Based on the networks built, relationships established, and ideas exchanged, we would like to share our thoughts with you as we get into a reflective season.

In 2022 we will finalize the learning processes on urban basic services and sector governance and land management and land use planning. This will be through support to municipalities working on their proposals and those seeking expertise support. Through partnerships with like-minded institutions, we will have more opportunities to learn and exchange through the thematic working groups; solid waste management, urban green spaces, climate change and urban mobility.

We welcome you to join this community of transformers in the region.

From the Sub Saharan Africa desk, we appreciate your cooperation and wish you happy holidays!

Contacts: Sophia Kamau (sophia.kamau@giz.de)

Connective Cities in the MENA region: Champion Cities taking ownership of the network in 2022 – by Muna Shalan

Over the past year, the vibrant network of Connective Cities in the MENA region has grown and has intensified its activities: we are now at 235 registered members! To sustain the momentum and ensure the sustainability of the network, champion cities will take the lead in steering the activities of the different thematic working groups starting next year. This will include peer learning, good practice presentation and joint proposal development. Upon showcasing the outcomes of the activities in the planned regional event in January 2022, the network members will be able to nominate themselves or vote for the steering committee of the regional working groups that include local economic development and job creation, municipal energy efficiency projects, biodiversity and environmental protection, digitalisation of municipal services, social entrepreneurship and circular economy.

We are also looking forward for new partnerships with regional city associations in 2022. This includes our recently signed MoU with UCLG MEWA to strengthen decentralised regional cooperation.

Contact: Muna Shalan (muna.shalan@giz.de )

The Connective Cities Lab 2021 – Facts & Findings

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Municipalities around the world are affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, Connective Cities organised a series of virtual formats to discuss and develop measures, challenges, and solutions to overcome the pandemic and support the municipal recovery.

The Connective Cities Lab – an online programme for urban practitioners and municipal experts – created an international exchange between 85 municipalities from 57 different countries worldwide to support the development of solutions and prototypes for local challenges.

With a total of 72 hours of programme, the following components were implemented and results achieved within the Connective Cities Lab.

Connective Cities Lab Nov 10th – 30th 2021

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The Connective Cities Lab – an online programme for urban practitioners and municipal experts – created an international exchange between 85 municipalities from 57 different countries worldwide.

The “Connective Cities Lab” was designed as a complementary digital format to promote the international exchange between urban practitioners, tech enthusiasts and municipal stakeholders, that aimed to inspire the development of solutions for municipal recovery from the pandemic and to prepare participants to transfer their ideas into fundable projects.

Instead of exchange formats for sharing expertise and Good Practices, the CCLab 2021 focussed on in-depth formats – including the strengthening of existing capacities and facilitating a creative collaboration between Connective Cities Community members and global networks of innovators and data scientists.

The Capacity Strengthening Capsules were organized as preparation and knowledge base for further discussions. A total of nine challenges were initially formulated, further elaborated in a 3-day Design Thinking process and summarised in project outlines. An additional workshop provided insights on requirements in municipal funding proposals. Six of the nine digital challenges were tackled by interdisciplinary teams in a global virtual 48-hour hackathon and evaluated by a jury of experts.

The concept and results are documented in this report.

GIZ – using mobile phones to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic

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Many countries are currently seeing a renewed increase in COVID-19 infections, and as case numbers rise, so too does inaccurate information about the virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has coined the phrase ‘infodemic’ to describe this parallel epidemic of inaccurate medical information and misleading guidance on tackling the virus. And groups living in remote rural areas of Africa, for example, often have no direct access to the internet or other media for reliable information.

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has launched the ‘CallvsCorona’ Project to tackle this. The idea dates back to April 2020, when it was one of the outcomes of a ‘hackathon’ to find ways of tackling the pandemic. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the project operates a 24-hour interactive phone service in five countries to combat misinformation about COVID-19. With information about the virus available round the clock, callers can find out about specific topics at the touch of a button on their phones. 

Radio playlets provide information on COVID-19 in particular to the illiterate

The project has also produced 95 informative radio playlets, using everyday stories to provide valuable information on how to behave. This offers a reliable source of information, in particular for people who cannot read and write.

The wide distribution of basic mobile phones and access to radio stations across Africa means that even those living in the remotest regions have access to the information they need through ‘CallvsCorona’. More than 250,000 people have already accessed information directly via their mobile phones.

The phone service is provided by a social enterprise, Viamo, and after launching in Madagascar, it is now also available in Haiti, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. The project works closely with local GIZ programmes to reach as many people as possible. ‘CallvsCorona’, which is co-financed by the European Commission, will be rolled out even more widely from October this year. 

Plans also include a focus on new aspects of COVID-19, such as information about vaccinations and health care in the pandemic. ‘CallvsCorona’ will additionally be rolled out in Nigeria and Senegal, enabling it to reach up to 400,000 more people.

Digitalisation: Developing your own ideas based on international practice

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After the successful launch of the working process on 21 September 2021 with a kick-off event, the Digitalisation Working Group, composed of 19 municipalities from seven countries – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Northern Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine – continued the process of mutual learning and building a network of peers with similar initiatives, creating space for potential future collaborations, focusing mainly on developing their own initiatives, ideas and projects with the acquired knowledge and capacities.

In order to meet the schedule and objectives set out in the group’s action plan, four meetings were held within two months, focusing on different important aspects.  The work process started with the identification of challenges faced by the participants, such as: lack of software capacity, time-consuming documentation of the digitisation process, low digital literacy and lack of compatibility of city archives.

Following this, the next session focused on identifying initiatives and possible measures already implemented or planned by municipalities to mitigate or completely eliminate the problems.  These initiatives included the creation of a unified state register for citizens, the development of an app to facilitate access to municipal services, among others. 

After the first two sessions, the urban practitioners present were given the difficult task of elaborating and pushing their ideas for future projects. In the two following sessions, the participants were able to develop ideas and later define their projects, while at the same time using their newly acquired knowledge.

As a result of the intensive work in the period from September to October 2021, the practitioners participating in the learning process not only created and gained a new knowledge base for their future or ongoing project, but also insights into the international practice of their colleagues. All members received recommendations and suggestions from participants and practitioners, while at the same time a supportive and encouraging environment was created within the group, offering potential for future collaborations or joint ventures.

Sessions in retrospect

The working group met four times for four-hour sessions that allowed members to present their projects and their development while listening to some good practices from the speakers.

Workshop I: Ideation

Workshop II: Consolidation

Workshop III: Solutions

Workshop IV: Opportunities

Call for Participation: Join the Connective CitiesCity Lab

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A open and flexible online program for local municipal employees and urban practitioners around the world.

Municipalities around the world are affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, Connective Cities is organising a series of virtual formats to discuss and develop measures, challenges, and solutions to overcome the pandemic and support the municipal recovery.

By joining the Connective Cities Lab, you get full access to international experts and urban practitioners from other cities, who will support you to develop solutions and prototypes to the challenges you are working on in your local community.

Invitations to meetings of the digitization cluster working group

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as part of this year’s special programme on the subject of “Post-COVID-19 Recovery Measures” the International Community of Practice for Sustainable Urban Development Connective Cities and its initiators, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the Association of German Cities (DST) and Engagement Global / Service Agency Communities in One World, cordially invite you to actively participate in the working groups:

  • Digital Literacy
  • Digital Divide
  • Digitalisation of Public Services

The Digitalisation Cluster is an open and flexible online space for local municipal employees and urban practitioners around the world that offers support to municipal teams who are dealing with digital transformation projects and programs in their municipalities.

Urban practitioners and municipal representatives from around the world are coming together online to develop digital solutions for measures regarding the local economy, public services, communication, education, public health services, data management, and digital literacy. In addition to that, advisory on relevant funding options for these digital transformations will be shared and discussed.

Join the cluster in one of the upcoming sessions:

Wed., 3 Nov. 2021 at 11:00-12:30 (CET):
Digitalisation of Services & Digital Transformation
https://community.connective-cities.net/en/node/906

Thu., 4 Nov. 2021 at 11:00 – 12:30 (CET):
Overcoming the Digital Divide & Access to Technology
https://community.connective-cities.net/en/node/907

Tue., 9 Nov. 2021 at 11:00 – 12:30 (CET):
Digital Literacy – Strategies Design
https://community.connective-cities.net/en/node/908.

Launch of Digitalisation working group in Southeast Europe (SEE)

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Taking place on 21 September 2021, the Kick-off event of SEE digitalisation working group gathered 29 urban practitioners from all over the region, coming together to embark on a journey of capacity building, peer-to-peer exchange and project development on various topics of digitalisation.  Participants from 19 municipalities from 7 countries – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine – are targeted as main participants of the group.

This initiative, that is part of Connective Cities COVID-19 Programme, is dedicated to supporting cities’ resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing capacity-building activities in the directions of Digitalization.  For this objective several primary aims have been designed in collaboration Ms. Yulia Besplemennova, International Expert, who will be guiding participants on the journey of capacity development.

This working group will allow participants to learn from each other and build network of peers with similar initiatives, giving space for potential future collaborations, while focusing mainly on several prime goals:

  •  Improving cities’ ability to envision and design public digital services with a design-driven approach applying both human-centred and systemic lenses.
  • Learning the principles of stakeholders and user’s engagement in design and validation processes and of co-design practices.
  • Stimulating peer-to-peer exchange and hands-on learning dynamics.

Programme

During the session, Action plan of the group, upcoming activities, general methodology and tools were introduced to be used during working process of the group.

Along with presenting theoretical outline of the Action Plan, participating urban practitioners were introduced to one another, highlighting their interest and motivation for participating in the process.

Dates and themes of upcoming workshops were settled among the members of the group. These workshops (in the form of presenting ideas, ideations and breakout sessions) will be used for identifying the citizens needs and their profiles, mapping stakeholder and system maps and analysing the problematics involved, developing co-design initiatives to actively engage users for the delivery of the better digital services. Recording of the Kick-off event can be found here.

In the following weeks, the following workshops have already been held (a short review will be published soon):

Workshop I: Ideation

Workshop 2: Consolidation

Workshop III: Solutions & Opportunities