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UNDP's Digital Journey

Gayan Peiris, Head of Data and Technology, CDOUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

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UNDP Digital Strategy

Digital Transformation at UNDP

Ongoing Priorities

Our Offer to Partners

Agenda

UNDP DIGITAL

Agenda

© Photo credit

UNDP DIGITAL

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#UNDPdigital

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The strategy has 3 key objectives

#DigitalUNDP

#UNDPdigital

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Our Offer to Partners

Agenda

Digital Transformation at UNDP

UNDP Digital Strategy

UNDP DIGITAL

Agenda

© Photo credit

UNDP DIGITAL

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Pathways to a Digitally Native UNDP

#DigitalUNDP

#DigitalUNDP

Digital 

Community

Digital Fitness and Digital Leadership

Digitally Native UNDP

  • DFP – A short, in-country, intensive course for digital upskilling �
  • Digital Leadership Training for RR's and DRRs
  • Fuel50 – Digital Mentorship Programme for all UNDP Staff
  • Dedicated Digital Advocate (DA) in over 130 countries
  • A UNDP-wide digital Community of Practice (CoP Digital)
  • Data Thursday series with over 4000 members

  • All legacy systems streamlined into Quantum, UNAll and Quantum+
  • Unified Data Hub – Platform as a service for advanced analytics and AI
  • Digital markers - embeds digital into the DNA of project delivery

Examples

Data and Digital Guides

  • Detailed step-by-step guide on how to collect, use, share, and store data

  • Publicly Available Digital Guides focusing on 18 UNDP Signature Solutions such as Gender, Health, Social Protection, etc.

#UNDPdigital

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The Digital Fitness Programme (DFP) ensures UNDP is able to use digital to amplify our development impact in countries

50 +

Country Office Programme Deliveries

708 +

people trained

TBL in Dec 2023

First RR & DRR Digital Leadership Training

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The Digital Advocates Network are dedicated focal points that drive forward the digital agenda at the country-level

Distributed across

131

UNDP Country Offices serving a UNDP-wide CoP Digital

Regional Digital Workshops

3 days

76 participants

7+ panel sessions

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Data Strategy is focused on governance, people and technology

Governance

People

Technology

PARTNERSHIPS

GUIDERAILS

DATA ARCHITECTURE

Establish approaches to collect and analyze data transparently, responsibly, and effectively 

Invest in a modern technology architecture that enables UNDP to become a data-enabled organisation

Ensure expertise is in-place to leverage data while establishing baseline capacity across organization

Effective and Ethical Use of Data

Sustainable �Development

STRENGTHENED DATA DRIVEN DECISION MAKING 

DATA PROJECTS DELIVERED AT SCALE

A STRONG DATA CULTURE

A DATA SAVVY GLOBAL WORKFORCE

FUTURE READY GREEN DATA INFRASTRUCTURE AND TOOLS

Structure and Processes

Data Governance Group

Data Literacy

Data Network�coordinated by Dedicated Data Team

Unified�Data Hub

Self Service Capabilities

Data�Innovation

Data Principles

Strengthening Data Collection and Analysis 

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Development Data Partnership - DDP

#DigitalUNDP

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Other Ongoing Priorities

  • LAUNCH Nov 2023: RFP - Long term Agreement of Provision of Digital Services
  • Creation of UNDP-wide General Job Description on Data and Digital

Continuing to embed digital into UNDP’s standard processes - such as corporate reporting processes and procurement processes.

  • DFP training specialised for GPN DAN colleagues
  • Digital Guides for all UNDP Signature Solutions
  • Continued support on digital for UNDP Country Offices & Regional Bureaus (through DT sessions, capacity building programmes with ITU, self-service repositories)

Evolving capabilities and capacities in digital programming areas across UNDP, prioritised together with GPN.

Examples

Evolving & expanding UNDP communities on data and digital

  • UNDP Digital CoP, including 886+ members and growing
  • Digital and Data Governance Groups
  • Establishment of UNDP-wide AI Working Group

UNDP DIGITAL

UNDP DIGITAL

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Digital Transformation at UNDP

UNDP Digital Strategy

Agenda

Our Offer to Partners

UNDP DIGITAL

Agenda

© Photo credit

UNDP DIGITAL

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Digital solutions

Fragmented and opportunistic approach

‘Techno-optimism’

Three fundamental shifts

Rights-based and inclusion-first approach

Holistic and strategic approach

Digital (eco) systems

#UNDPdigital

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Think of physical infrastructure like roads, railroads, airports, internet cables, cell towers that generates economic opportunity today.

What about digital public infrastructure?

Key Features

  • For public benefit
  • Serves multiple purpose
  • Public governance
  • Interoperability

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How does DPI actually work?

Siloed digital systems

Infrastructure-thinking (DPI)

  • For public benefit�
  • Based on standards�
  • Interoperable

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DPI components: technology, governance, ecosystem

Ecosystem and markets�to catalyze innovation and value�

Governance and rules�to ensure interoperability, inclusivity and privacy

Digital solutions�in form of building blocks that are open, interoperable and standards-based��

Technology

Governance

Ecosystem

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UNDP’s Value Proposition

Experience in whole-of-society digital transformation

Expertise in people-centered development – including rights-based, inclusive and gender-sensitive approaches

Convening power across ministries and sectors

Thought Leadership in Digital Public Goods/Digital Public Infrastructure 

Implementation capacity with unparalleled country presence

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UN sectoral support

… etc.

Societal

Ecosystem

Connectivity

Ecosystem

'Common goods' layer

These elements together create the common technology, policy and human infrastructure that  can enable equitable and thriving digital societies. Inclusion and rights for all must be situated at the center

Illustrative

E.g.:

  • Governance, policy and Institutional support
  • Digital Public Infrastructure
  • Capacity and skills
  • Digital Ecosystems
  • Meaningful access

Education

Health

Agriculture

Environment

Trade

How UNDP can work with other UN agencies at the country level

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COVID Acceleration: over 250 new digital projects in more than 80 countries to respond to and recover from COVID-19

Bangladesh: Supported nation-wide A2I programme

Honduras: Deployed iVerify, an AI-driven fact-checking tool to support national elections

> 250 digital projects in more than 100 countries 

Country with on-going or completed digital project

Spotlight country

LEGEND

Palestine: Access to Justice support through supporting deployment of MIZAN DPG

Uganda:  Assessed schools and digital skills with Ministry of ICT and Ministry of Education

Rwanda:  Supported Government in Cashless acceleration program, trained women and youth in cross border digital payments

Mauritania: Completed Readiness Assessment, supporting development of an e-id pilot 

UNDP DIGITAL

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How we support our partners in digital transformation

Digitally-enabled programming

Inclusive Digital Ecosystems

#DigitalUNDP

Digital Readiness Assessments

Digital Development

Compass

AI Readiness Assessment

ITU-UNDP Joint Facility on Digital Capacity

UNDP Digital Guides

Digital Standards

DPI Playbook

Data Governance Toolkit

Digital Inclusion Navigator

Digital X Solutions Catalogue

Strategy Setting

Examples

Digital Public Goods

#UNDPdigital

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Global actors�& processes

Catalytic Partners

(Local and regional) Implementers & supporters

Tech stack�& communities

UNDP is co-leading the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA) which stewards the DPG agenda

#UNDPdigital

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Existing Digital Public Goods

#DigitalUNDP

#DigitalUNDP

iVerify: misinformation detection tool

Digital MRV system & Carbon Registry

UNDP DIGITAL

UNDP DIGITAL

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#DigitalUNDP

#DigitalUNDP

  • > 100 vetted digital solutions from around the world

  • Searchable by Thematic Area

  • COs can connect with solution providers to discuss project opportunities

UNDP DIGITAL

UNDP DIGITAL

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Thank you!�

Get in touch with me at gayan.peiris@undp.org