Mobile apps to ease public service delivery

At least five mobile applications recognised during an Awards ceremony organised by Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) in Kigali, on Monday, are expected to facilitate public service delivery solutions. Various Information and Communication Technology entrepreneurs, application and software developers, were tasked to come up with the best app to ease public service delivery, promote job creation and youth empowerment and promote the interest of young people in connecting mobile technologies to other services. Five outstanding projects were rewarded. The projects are expected to provide easily searchable information about service delivery in different institutions, enable citizens to make enquiries on different public services provided by the government, and to instantly report corruption and poor service delivery. Origene Igiraneza scooped the award of the best mobile app project during the Awards ceremony. The app, dubbed ‘Neza Digital Services’, the mobile app which uses android version, provides room for citizens to give their feedback and suggestions, and to interact and discuss what they think is the best for them. Igiraneza won $ 5,000 (about Rwf 3.75 million), a trophy and a certificate. In addition, his app will be fully developed and used by RGB. Improved service delivery is one of the drivers of economic growth towards the achievement of the country’s vision 2020 and EDPRS 2. Speaking at the ceremony, Jean Philbert Nsengimana, the minister for Youth and ICT urged Rwandans to work together to achieve the country’s vision. “Rwanda is going digital, Africa the same, and the world economy has already gone digital; be it in education, health or any other sector. However, we need to ask ourselves what would be the impact of the emerging technologies on governance. Let’s work together to shape tomorrow’s government as we strive to improve today’s governance,” he said. Origène Igiraneza, the winner of the mobile application competition addresses speaks to the media after the ceremony at Kigali Serena Hotel on Monday. (Faustin Niyigena) As part of Smart Rwanda master plan 2020, government seeks to bring at least 95 per cent of government transactions online in a cashless way, according to the minister. “For the young innovators, you should understand the implications. Most of the problems we are having today are still based on the fact that people need to go and face a service provider, but imagine a service where there’s no human interface. What you (young developers) need to start thinking about is the value of such projects in making service delivery efficient and effective,” Nsengimana added. The mobile solution would strengthen and ease efforts of RGB in monitoring service delivery in Rwanda; in order to continuously provide feedback to policy makers and implementers. Anastase Shyaka, the Chief Executive Officer of RGB, appealed to other partners to reach out to the young innovators to help make them use of their technologies. He commended all the development partners that helped through the activity. “All these projects are applicable and consumable; I want therefore to appeal to the public and private partners to reach out to these ICT entrepreneurs to use them. I am sure all those products can be adopted at different situations and bring about solutions,” he said. Other participants who were awarded include Eric Hitimana of Services Monitor app, in second position, Alexis Mugwaneza of Noza Mobile app (third), Joshua Ntwali (forth) and Saad Ndagijimana, who came in the fifth position. The second and the third best received $ 2,000 and $ 1,500, respectively, while the rest walked away with trophies and certificates. “I have been a victim of poor service delivery. When I heard of this competition I felt it presented an opportunity for me to play my role in improving service delivery,” Igiraneza said. He added that the platform is user friendly; as it gives room to the public to offer their suggestions, complaints, and ideas through an in-built digital suggestion box and forum. “People are able to discuss various issues and the government can easily get their feedback. What I can tell young developers, is to first believe in themselves and then come up with innovations that bring solutions to people’s problems,” editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Mobile apps to ease public service delivery