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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider NZ gov't offers help to PH for more livable cities

NZ gov't offers help to PH for more livable cities

Published Sep 8, 2022 12:29 pm

The New Zealand government is helping the Philippines to have more livable cities by eliminating bureaucracy and boosting public sector efficiency.

Ambassador Peter Kell, along with the League of Cities of the Philippines and Globe Telecom, led the launching of the New Zealand Embassy’s public sector innovation program, “Govtech Accelerator,” during the Liveable Cities Lab held last month.

The key characteristic of New Zealand’s successful digital transformation journey is prioritizing the needs of people, Kell noted.

“Digital government is about putting people first; not about what governments want to do,” he said.

“It’s about focusing on what people need from the government in these fast-changing times using emerging technologies, data, and changes to government, culture, practices, and processes,” he continued.

Kell was joined by CreativeHQ’s Head of Government Innovation Jonnie Haddon and Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) Philippines’ Deputy-Director General and OIC Ernesto Perez.

The GovTech Accelerator, through the help of CreativeHQ, will capacity-build and transform government organizations in the country to produce creative solutions.

“The primary objective of this program is to provide a better outcome for who we are trying to serve,” Haddon said.

Agencies and local government units (LGUs) that will join the program will undergo a 12-week ideation, innovation, and prototype-building for solutions to specific customer pain points.

“It’s also about building the capability of public sector staff to apply these principles throughout their career and create a groundswell of practitioners who can challenge the status quo and do things in a different way,” he added.

The agency added that it is upskilling its own employees on innovation tools and methodologies under Creative HQ’s T7 Masterclass Training.

ARTA Philippines, meanwhile, also bared its plan to establish creative laboratories for startups, corporations, and governments.

“We hope to create inclusive growth to ensure that no one is left behind in the process. We believe that streamlined and re-engineered intelligent, ICT-enabled systems will improve the lives of our people,” said ARTA Philippines’ Deputy Director General Ernesto Perez.

ARTA Philippines and the Valenzuela City government have already partnered with the New Zealand Embassy.

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