As outlined in the digital strategy, DFID has invited a group of digital and development experts with a wealth of different experience to join a digital advisory panel. Their role is to take an overview of our strategy for digital and technology in our organisation and programmes, and provide advice and challenge to the organisation. They met for the first time this week, and started to discuss the scope and priorities for their work programme. I’ll blog about that later, but for now I’d like to introduce the panel.
The Chair is Tim Robinson, CEO of LGC. He joined DFID's board as a non-executive director in May 2013.
Members are:
- Ken Banks is the founder of kiwanja.net and creator of FrontlineSMS, a mobile messaging application aimed at the grassroots non-profit community.
- Rebecca Enonchong is founder and CEO of AppsTech, and sits on the board of VC4Africa, the largest online community dedicated to entrepreneurs and investors building companies in Africa.
- Mark Graham director of research at the Oxford Internet Institute.
- Nick Hughes formerly head of Global Payments at Vodafone Group, where he started M-PESA, is now founder and strategy director of m-kopa.
- Stephen King is a partner in Omidyar Network UK and was formerly chief executive of BBC Media Action.
- Rick Robinson is an Executive Architect at IBM responsible for the development and delivery of Smarter City solutions and a member of the Academy of Urbanism.
- Kathy Settle is director for digital policy and departmental engagement at the Government Digital Service where, having developed the Government's Digital Strategy, she is now working alongside Departmental "Digital Leaders" to deliver its 14 actions.
- Tim Unwin has many roles, including Secretary General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), Chair of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK, Emeritus Professor of Geography and UNESCO Chair in ICT4D at Royal Holloway, University of London.
- Amy Semple Ward is CEO of NTEN, the nonprofit technology network, based in Oregon, US.
Arranging face to face meetings for a group of such committed and busy people will be a challenge, not least because of time zones, but we have already demonstrated how technology can support different ways of working, as one member, Rebecca, joined us from Cameroon by video link.
5 comments
Comment by Ishtiaq Ahmad Khan posted on
This is a fabulous initiative by DFID. The use of technology especially in the development sector will prove instrumental in achieving a certain project goals. This also seems to be helpful in setting the overall organisational strategy to achieve specified objectives.
Comment by First meeting of DFID’s digital advisory panel | Julia's Blog posted on
[...] Since I published this post, I have blogged on the main DFID platform to introduce the panelists. Share this:ShareEmailFacebookTwitterLike this:Like Loading... [...]
Comment by DFID’s Development Tracker opens access to aid information | Green Ink mock-up posted on
[...] will try to improve “local transparency”. The strategy is overseen by a high-powered advisory panel that should hold the department to account and that met for the first time during Open Access [...]
Comment by Digital advisory panel gets to work | Department for International Development posted on
[...] panel met for the second time in January. It was a slightly smaller group, perhaps due to the perils of a [...]
Comment by Edith Brown posted on
Such a great initiative by DFID! Congrats!