The Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) launches public call for feedback on services
Citra Lab utilizes human centered design to transform DMT to a more citizen-centric and digital institution
Colombo, 05 November 2020: The Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) has launched a public call for feedback on its services. The Department is designing a 5-year transformational roadmap with Citra Social Innovation Lab and is calling for public input on key areas to provide a more citizen centric and digital service to the public. All citizens who have received services are requested to provide their feedback at www.drivelk.com.
The DMT is utilizing systemic thinking and human-centred design approaches facilitated by Citra Lab in developing its strategic plan for the next 5 years. Citra, a joint initiative of the State Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research & Innovation and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka previously assisted the DMT in re-engineering its service delivery for obtaining driving licenses at the DMT Werahera Service Centre. The Lab is now supporting the DMT in becoming more citizen-centric and digital institution within the next 5 years.
Apart from getting public input, Citra Lab together with DMT, are also mapping out the available resources across all 26 service centers of the DMT to assess the digital readiness of the Department to take on increased avenues of digital service delivery. Digital interventions will be designed based on these assessments along with public feedback to ensure the effective implementation of revised processes across the country. DMT officials will also participate in Citra Lab’s NextGenGov Fellowship Programme on foresight and innovation for public sector excellence to introduce DMT officials to innovative approaches and practical tools they can utilize in their work at the Department.
Speaking on the need for a transformational roadmap Mr. Sumith Alahakoon, Commissioner General of the Department of Motor Traffic stated “The DMT has been successful in processing the large volume of applications it receives but there is an urgent need to use innovative approaches to redesign the delivery of our services. Citra Lab has supported us in this transformational journey by using systemic processes and innovative approaches that highlighted the user’s perspective. The 5-year strategic roadmap for the DMT therefore, will ensure the people of Sri Lanka are at the centre of DMT’s processes. I urge all citizens who have used DMT’s services to support us in this journey by sharing your input at www.drivelk.com.”
Highlighting the momentum for change Mr. Robert Juhkam, Resident Representative of UNDP in Sri Lanka stated, “The DMT is a front-line service that many citizens interact with on a regular basis. The transformation of the DMT to a more user focused and digital department will therefore act as a model for other government institutions to emulate. We’re very pleased to be supporting this process by providing innovative approaches through the Citra Social Innovation Lab of the Government of Sri Lanka and UNDP.”
Commenting on the collaboration, Ms. Deepa Liyanage, Additional Secretary (Research), State Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research and Innovation stated “The public sector needs to think differently to effectively address the challenges they face. We’re pleased that Citra Lab could assist in this process by providing innovative approaches to ensure citizen-centric service delivery for the Department of Motor Traffic.”
Citra Lab and DMT will utilize design thinking tools to prototype and test solutions to effectively address public concerns identified through the public survey on DMT’s services within the next 5 years. Together with its wide network of partners, Citra works towards embedding foresight and innovation within the public sector as a whole by strengthening institutions, building capacity and re-engineering processes.
Department of Motor Traffic initiates transformation with Citra Lab to provide a more user focused, digital service for Sri Lanka
Colombo, 27th August 2020: The global COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vital need for an agile public sector that can effectively respond to rapidly evolving challenges. As an institution that provides a front-line service to the public, the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) is committed to building back better systems to deliver an efficient and people focused service to the public.
To this end, Citra social innovation lab set up as a partnership between the State Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research and Innovation and UNDP is working with the DMT to build a 5-year transformational roadmap placing human centred design as the organisation’s central focus. Human centred design is a design thinking approach that develops solutions to problems by involving the human or user’s perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process. Citra Lab will lend its expertise on such approaches to collaborate with the DMT on re-engineering the Department to ensure a more citizen centric and digital DMT.
To begin, Citra conducted a design thinking workshop for core groups of the Department to identify the current challenges and priority areas that need to be addressed to achieve a holistic and impactful transformation. The workshop was facilitated by Citra Lab’s multidisciplinary team based on expertise and exposure to training and experiences on systemic design, sense making, foresight and human centred design with global innovation giants from Canada, UK, Moldova, Malaysia, Australia, India, and Indonesia.
Mr. Sumith Alahakoon, Commissioner General, DMT
Speaking on the need for a transformational roadmap Mr. Sumith Alahakoon, Commissioner General of the Department of Motor Traffic stated “As a front-line service the DMT processes over 1.2 million driving licenses and vehicle registrations in a year and provides a considerable portion of government revenue. While the Department is successful in handling the large volume it receives, there is an urgent need to use innovative approaches to redesign the delivery of our services. The collaboration with Citra Lab on this transformational roadmap will ensure the people of Sri Lanka are at the centre of DMT’s processes.
Highlighting the momentum for change Mr. Robert Juhkam, Resident Representative of UNDP in Sri Lanka stated, “The DMT is an essential public service that many citizens interact with on a regular basis. The transformation of the DMT to a more user focused and digital department will therefore act as a model for other government institutions to emulate. We’re very pleased to be supporting this process by providing innovative approaches through Citra Lab.”
Commenting on the collaboration, Ms. Deepa Liyanage, Additional Secretary (Research), State Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research and Innovation stated “Design thinking approaches help governments better understand its citizens, redefine problems and develop innovative solutions that we can prototype and test. Incorporating such approaches will help ensure Sri Lanka builds back better systems to increase resilience to future crises.”
Citra Lab is a proven leader in using design thinking tools to prototype and test development solutions to ensure they are agile and holistic. Together with its wide network of partners, Citra works towards embedding foresight and innovation within the public sector by strengthening institutions, building capacity and re-engineering processes.
ICTA partners with UNDP for a comprehensive and inclusive digital transformation of Sri Lanka
Colombo, 26th August 2020: The Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka signed a 4-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to support Sri Lanka’s aspirations for Digital Transformation.
ICTA and UNDP will collaborate towards the design and implementation of a comprehensive National Digital Strategy under the ‘Vistas of Prosperity’ national policy framework, with a specific focus on digital transformation of the public sector including re-engineering processes to ensure an effective uptake of digital mechanisms. The collaboration will also implement initiatives to bridge the ‘Digital Divide’ ensuring an inclusive digital transformation that leaves no one behind. In line with the national emphasis on recovery, the transformational agenda will also develop and implement a national strategy on digital economy to revitalise the economy in a post COVID-19 context. The partnership will leverage the capacity of Citra Lab, GoSL and UNDP joint initiatives and build on existing public sector excellence initiatives such as the NextGenGov Fellowship Programme, to provide capacity building support and support ICTA’s institutional strengthening and realignment to lead an effective digital transformation agenda in Sri Lanka. The transformational agenda will utilize design thinking approaches such as human centred design in the development and implementation of these initiatives to ensure the people of Sri Lanka are the central focus of the transformation. Human centred design is an approach that develops solutions to problems by involving the human or user’s perspective in every step of the problem-solving process. Citra Lab, will lend its expertise on such approaches to the digital transformation agenda to ensure a citizen centric digital transformation.
Speaking on the vital need for transformation Mr. Jayantha De Silva, Chairman of ICTA stated “ICTA is the apex ICT institution of the Government mandated to take all necessary measures to implement the Government’s policies in relation to ICT including the implementation of a comprehensive digitalization policy for the country. The global COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the urgent need for a digital transformation of our Public Sector in order to effectively respond to evolving challenges. We are confident that this partnership will enable us to build on this momentum for change and realise our overarching goal of an inclusive, digital Sri Lanka.
Commenting on the partnership Mr. Robert Juhkam, Resident Representative of UNDP in Sri Lanka stated, “Digital transformation is a hallmark of our time and UNDP is committed to supporting national digital transformation agendas for social and economic good, including Sri Lanka. Digital investments can help both to recover from COVID-19 and enable achievement of the SDGs. This partnership will create a platform for engagement to leverage UNDP and UN sister agency expertise for efficient, citizen-centric and resilient public service delivery, innovation and economic growth.”
As an immediate next step to the signing, ICTA and UNDP will work together to conduct a digital readiness assessment for the public sector to identify gaps within the system and design interventions that can be rolled out to strengthen the digital framework.
Citra Lab facilitates design thinking approaches for the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation
Colombo, 30th July 2020: Citra Lab facilitated design thinking approaches for the Presidential Task Force (PTF) for Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation, to introduce practical tools and approaches to tackle larger development issues which are to be taken on by the Presidential Task Force. Citra, Sri Lanka’s first social innovation lab, is supporting the execution of the PTF’s key tasks by lending its expertise on social innovation, foresighting and human centered design to the process.
Following discussions on multiple avenues of engagement, Citra Lab conducted a human centered design thinking workshop as the first step in its broader collaboration with the PTF. The workshop was conducted for core groups of the PTF along with officials from the Office of the Prime Minister, on building an analytical and strategic approach to the PTF’s tasks with a special focus on understanding the people they are designing solutions for. The workshop, held at Temple Trees, Colombo was facilitated by Citra Lab, drawing on its wide range of experience in conducting such sessions and its multidisciplinary team that brings in expertise from different angles, having been exposed to training and experiences on systemic design, sense making, foresight and human centred design with global innovation giants from Canada, UK, Moldova, Malaysia, Australia, India, and Indonesia.
ICTA to use design thinking to increase usage of the Lanka Government Network 2.0 (LGN 2.0) within public sector
Citra Lab facilitates design thinking workshop to unpack usage of the LGN 2.0
Colombo, 10 March 2020: Citra Social Innovation Lab, facilitated a design thinking workshop on recommendations to increase usage of the Lanka Government Network 2.0 (LGN 2.0) within the public sector. The LGN 2.0, provided by the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), is a secure, private network that aims to connect all government organizations of Sri Lanka in a cost-effective and secure manner. The network has over 800 current connections across the island and ICTA is working to significantly increase the organizations connected to the network.
As Sri Lanka’s first social innovation lab, Citra provided its expertise to the process by facilitating a design thinking workshop organized by ICTA, on unpacking the current usage of the LGN 2.0. The workshop highlighted key areas for interventions and designed recommendations as a first step towards increasing usage. Relevant stakeholders including government organizations currently using the network and those that had opted to use separate networks were consulted by ICTA in the design thinking process.
Speaking on the added value of conducting design thinking sessions, Mr. Waruna Sri Dhanapala, Additional Secretary (Development), Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology Division of the Ministry of Defence, stated “The LGN 2.0 is an enhanced connectivity solution and usage of this network should be increased. Before moving forward however it was necessary to identify and address any prevailing gaps in current usage of the network. Citra Lab assisted in the first step of this process through a collaborative design thinking workshop which unpacked and identified current issues and the best approaches in addressing them.”
Citra Lab provides future-proof solutions to development challenges through a holistic approach. The team features a wide range of expertise from data science, development economics, sociology, tech for development, digital design and more. Together, the Citra team uses foresight and innovation tools to strengthen institutions, build capacity and re-engineer processes.