A roadmap for digital transformation in Madagascar
Public Digital gave us a better understanding of where we stand exactly in terms of digital comprehension and what we have been missing so far. But the best of it is that Public Digital's missions taught us how to achieve our goal to make Madagascar one of the new exemplars in linking digitisation and development.
The problem
Madagascar faces considerable challenges: 75% of the population live on less than $1.90 a day, and only 13% have access to electricity. But it also has huge potential. A vibrant tech industry of more than 230 firms employs 15,000 people. Broadband speeds are faster than many other countries, including the UK and France. There are 9.7 million mobile subscriptions, and the number of internet users grew by 37% between 2018 and 2019.
The Government and World Bank wanted to understand digital maturity and capability, then start work on public sector digital transformation with a specific goal of improving public service delivery to citizens and businesses.
We worked with PREA (Programme de Réformes pour l'Efficacité de l'Administration / Public Sector Reform program within the Presidency) and our partners Caribou Digital to deliver this work.
What Public Digital did
- 1We conducted a diagnostic survey of digital maturity in the Malagasy government. This involved interviews and workshops with over 200 people in 12 different ministries and agencies.
- 2The next step was to create a 3-year roadmap for digital transformation, designed to make the most effective use of available funding and build capability over time.
- 3We worked closely with emerging Malagasy government digital leaders to build momentum, secure a political mandate, write a strategy, and begin to establish new ways of working.
What Madagascar achieved
The government adopted the roadmap and immediately began putting it into action. The team published their first blog posts, and hired the country’s first Chief Digital Officer. They also published a new e-governance strategy for the country.
There is political support for transformation at the highest level, the Office of the Presidency. The government is establishing relationships with private sector and civil society organisations to help grow the Malagasy digital economy.
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