The potential development gains from digital transformation in government are huge. Data and digital technologies, components of digital transformation, can contribute to socio-economic development outcomes by improving access to vital services such as health care, and by providing governments and citizens with data and insights for better decision-making and improved services (e.g. around social grant payments). Also, by bridging the gaps in education and research, access to information is facilitated, and innovation unlocked.
At this year’s Public Economics Conference titled “Technology and Data: For Enhanced Service Delivery” we have invited several government departments to share their success stories with us. SARS will show us how they utilise artificial Intelligence for debt recovery, and National Treasury will demonstrate how the Local Government Database and Reporting System (LGDRS) acts as an early warning system for municipalities to deal with potential financial problems, and is used by several sector departments for oversight purposes. We also reflect on the many challenges, from ethical issues, to fair access, and labour related concerns.
The hybrid conference is on from 3 – 5 September.
To get you immersed in the content we have compiled a list of interesting, relevant and new research in the subject matter i.e., cutting edge technology, big data, AI and data analytics:
Fast tracking digital transformation: A Framework for South Africa’s Public Sector, by the Policy Innovation Lab at the University of Stellenbosch, June 2024.
Our keynote speaker, Melanie Garson from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and University College London (UCL) shared two publications with us:
- In the State of Compute Access: How to Bridge the New Digital Divide readers can select countries to see what their State of Compute Access is, via an interactive Data Explorer.
- The second publication, A New National Purpose: AI Promises a World-Leading Future of Britain, sets a policy agenda for a new era of invention and innovation, based on radical-yet-practical ideas and genuine reforms that embrace the tech revolution.
For more information about the programme click here.