DHIS2 News: DHIS2 featured by the Digital Public Goods Alliance
DHIS2 has qualified for inclusion in the registry of Digital Public Goods, and is featured as a Pathfinding Pilot by the DPGA
The Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA) is a network of partners from different sectors whose mission is to aid the discovery, development, use of, and investment Digital Public Goods (DPGs) in order to advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One way that the DPGA does this is by maintaining a registry of Digital Public Goods (DPGs), that are reviewed and verified based on criteria from the UN Secretary General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation. They define DPGs as: “open source software, open data, open AI models, open standards and open content that adhere to privacy and other applicable laws and best practices, do no harm, and help attain the SDGs.”
Following their call for DPGs nominees in 2020, more than 500 candidates were nominated for the review by the DPGA. We are honored that DHIS2 was one of a select group of nominees (23 in total) that were classified as a Digital Public Good according to DPGA standards in their first round of review, and that DHIS2 is included in the DPGA registry.
In addition to the registry, the DPGA has also embarked on project to highlight Pathfinding Pilots, which they define as projects that: 1) include local capacity building for creation of new DPGs, and/or adaptation and implementation of existing DPGs; 2) outcomes of the pilots must adhere to the DPG Standard; and, 3) pilots must be conducted either in direct cooperation with and/or with the endorsement of a relevant government entity. Their goal in highlighting these Pathfinding Pilots is to amplify success stories of DPGs to show their value, and highlight implementation strategies from around the world. By strengthening understanding and awareness of DPGs, they hope to foster trust and interest in open source projects and help propel their adoption.
The DPGA launched this project in March 2021, and DHIS2 was featured as the DPGA’s first Pathfinding Pilots case study. In it, they describe our global work with DHIS2, with a particular focus on pilot projects in The Gambia and Uganda, where DHIS2 is being used as an Education Management Information System (EMIS) to support SGD 4 (Quality Education). Read about the DHIS2 Pathfinding Pilots on the DPGA website.
One key point that the DPGA emphasizes throughout their work is that the value of DPGs lies not simply in the technology itself, but how DPGs can be used for the betterment of humanity, by connecting individuals and communities to vital services, improving data-driven decision making, and building the infrastructure that helps societies respond to crisis. In describing DHIS2, they write:
“DHIS2 exemplifies the power and potential of digital public goods. Not only has it successfully scaled in market, it has done so in a way that brings us closer to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, its development has been holistic and localisable, allowing countries to leverage their existing capacity and expertise. And, DHIS2 has adapted to various sectors and challenges including scaling for COVID-19 response and addressing challenges in education.”
Digital Public Goods Alliance: DHIS2 – A Digital Public Goods Case Study
The Health Information Systems Programme (HISP) at the University of Oslo, which is responsible for coordinating the development and maintenance of DHIS2, is committed to the principles that the DPGA represents. We are proud to be included in the DPGA registry and to be featured among their Pathfinding Pilots. We hope that the work of the DPGA inspires more countries and organizations to adopt Digital Public Goods to support the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Learn more: https://digitalpublicgoods.net/blog/launching-dhis2-pathfinding-pilots/
