Written by Dr. David Moinina Sengeh

Over the next two weeks, six Ministries, Departments and Agencies, DSTI, an embedded researcher and an awesome volunteer facilitator/researcher/civic tech expert, my wife, Kate Krontiris are going to be solving critical challenges that will transform the lives of citizens done through an MIT GOV/LAB custom-developed course for Sierra Leone.

Below are the MDAs and their initial problems/solutions.

National Minerals Agency: Implement mineral processing laboratory information management system

Ministry of Transport and Aviation: Reliable vehicle data systems to support the new government fleet policy

National Revenue Authority: Digitalisation of taxpayer engagement

Office of the Administrator General: Digitalisation of land records for enhanced citizen access

National Public Procurement Authority: Improving communication between NPPA and MDAs for improved procurement

Teaching Service Commission: Teacher management record and enhanced service delivery for efficient performance management

This latest high-level partnership between DSTI and MIT and local partners like Africell is valued at about $100,000 of which $80,000 will go towards problem solving directly. At least two of the six teams will win up to $40,000 to implement their ideas.

This Bootcamp also builds on The Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation – DSTI ‘s strategic digital skills development of government employees including the Coursera Workforce Recovery program (which targetted 50,000 participants) and the eDACY Digital Foundation for Public Services (250 participants).

Our vision at DSTI was to support delivery of the Government’s National Development Plan and to strengthen Sierra Leone’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. On both of these, we are happy to be transforming Governance while building human capacity at all levels one person, one institution and one life at a time.