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Open source programme offices step up digital transformation 

Developing digital public services can be a challenge for countries and organizations pursuing wide-ranging digital transformation projects.

Open source solutions can help build local skills and capacity, promote inclusive design, reduce duplication of efforts, and speed up the entire process of shaping a digital society and economy.

But ensuring the open source technologies are developed, deployed and used to best effect, either within an institution or economy-wide, can itself become a time-consuming challenge.

Open Source Programme Offices (OSPOs) are dedicated internal offices that can help drive open source strategies for government offices, private companies or other organizations. OSPOs can help maximize the benefits of open source while navigating obstacles.​

Typically, the OSPO manages and promotes the use, development, and release of open source technologies throughout the wider organization. This can include setting up policies, ensuring compliance with licenses, guiding the organizational ecosystem on best practices, and fostering an open source culture. 

Promoting the OSPO concept

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is promoting the OSPO concept to help countries and companies accelerate their adoption of digital solutions, including services dispensing digital public goods (DPGs) like online identification and payments.

“Open source technologies can improve people’s lives by helping to build inclusive digital ecosystems and advance digital transformation, which in turn advances socio-economic development,” said Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at ITU. “We can support both national and international stakeholders in the creation, adoption, and implementation of open source solutions, policies, and frameworks.”

ITU’s Open Source Programme Office is promoting DPGs and digital public infrastructure (DPI) globally.

The project, supported by the Tides Foundation and led by ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, aims to contribute to the global open source ecosystem and empower a diverse range of organizations to utilize and keep creating open source technologies for equitable and sustainable digital transformation​.​

International DPG initiatives

Ongoing international DPG initiatives include GovStack, the Be Healthy Be Mobile project by the World Health Organization (WHO), and ITU’s own Open source Ecosystem Enabler (OSEE).

Key activities for ITU’s OSPO project include: 

  • Engaging with countries to raise awareness and encourage the use of open source to strengthen digital infrastructure and digital services. 
  • Promoting technology solutions aimed at poverty reduction and equitable economic inclusion in local contexts, along with enabling inclusive software design and development in low- and middle-income countries. 
  • Creating learning and capacity building materials as well as resources on the use and adoption of open source technologies for public services. 
  • Supporting existing initiatives with open source software for community development, code review, licensing and legal support, and open source software implementation support. 
  • Collaborating with other UN agencies to advance environmental protection and other priorities through open source technologies; integrating into the wider UN open source ecosystem; and fostering collaboration and alignment for lasting impact.  
Embracing AI to enhance public services

The project is also exploring how open source artificial intelligence (AI) models could enhance digital public services, especially in countries with scarce resources.

Potentially, AI could boost efficiency, accessibility, and overall service delivery without significant financial investment in proprietary technologies.

Ultimately, the success of open source initiatives relies on the active participation and collaboration worldwide.  

“Together, we can harness the transformative power of open source to build inclusive digital systems that leave no-one behind,” said Zavazava. “As we move forward, let us continue to collaborate and contribute to open source solutions, driving positive change and making a lasting impact on communities worldwide.”

Header image credit: Adobe Stock/AI generated

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