Insight #1 There are numerous parallel initiatives encouraging departments to digitize data, but top-down mandates distance data collection from data analysis.

Government departments are already using digital information systems to store, process and analyze data to varying degrees. Most digital implementation is driven by a top-down approach where township officials – who are usually closest to the people they serve – collect and supply data, but are not encouraged to analyze the data they collect. The utilization of data for planning and management remains the exclusive domain of higher-level offices. Moreover, top-down digitization initiatives tend to be siloed within their own ministries, making data sharing across different departments difficult at the township level.

Case Study

A Centralized Platform for Health Data

The open-sourced District Health Information Software (DHIS-2) is a web-based national platform for health data managed by the Ministry of Health and Sports (MoHS) and used widely in the public healthcare sector.

DHIS-2 is primarily used for data entry and reporting, with a 2016 review finding that available DHIS-2 functions for data analysis and visualization were rarely used in township offices.[1] Our observations in late 2019 showed that DHIS-2 remained primarily a data entry tool, as opposed to a tool for data analysis. Directives from the MoHS ensure the timely supply of data from township offices, but evidence-based planning and management at the township level remains limited.

Even though usage of DHIS-2 functionality is limited at the local level, there is evidence this may begin to change, especially because ‘DHIS-2 focals’ at local hospitals are selected and trained in the computer and analytical skills necessary for broader usage of the DHIS-2 tool. At one hospital, an administrator designated as a DHIS-2 focal has designed and operationalized her own Excel spreadsheet to record admissions into the hospital, replacing a process that was entirely paper-based. Her experience with DHIS-2, along with the training she has received from the MoHS, has equipped her with the right skill-sets to manage digital data.

After interviews with Thibi, she immediately saw an opportunity to map admissions data on TGIST to analyze where patients are coming from. She said, “I want to start with one month’s data and show the results to the hospital chief. If this gets approved, I want to map a whole year’s worth of data.” Since her initial commitment, she has been working alongside Thibi to bring her project to fruition.

Insight #2 Govtech implementers need to work with existing coordination bodies in local government to manage expectations and share responsibilities.

An inclusive, human-centred approach to govtech implementation requires both implementers and government beneficiaries to work together to solve a common problem. Regular check-ins with interagency Township Management Committees (TMCs) in each of our project areas have allowed us to understand the analysis needs of local government, report on product development, and clearly define responsibilities of the project team and of the government partners in jointly implementing data-driven change.

What is the TMC?

he Township Management Committee, convened and chaired by the General Administration Department, is made up of leadership from key township departments related to “administration, security, and social services.”[2] The TMC serves as a forum for interagency cooperation at the local level.

“When an issue can’t be solved under the mandate of any one department, it is brought to the TMC. When issues of great urgency or import to the township arise, they are brought to the TMC.” ~ One township administrator on the mandate of the TMC

[1] Review of DHIS2 Implementation Experience: Findings and Lessons Learnt. 3MDG, 2016, p. 7
[2] Chit Saw, Kyi Pyar, and Matthew Arnold. Administering the State in Myanmar: An Overview of the General Administration Department. The Asia Foundation, Myanmar Development Resource Institute, 2014

Introduction
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