We are actively engaged in the dialogue and debates of our space: on issues of social justice, global development, and democratic innovation, and on the ethics and methodological evolution of design, mediation, and co-creation practice. More of our writing can be found at Medium.
On December 11, 2019, Panthea Lee will moderate a panel at the Thinking & Working Politically (TWP) Summit in Washington, DC. Panelists from the World Bank, USAID, and Chemonics will interrogate the progress and pitfalls of the TWP approach, and help bridge the gap between policy proposals and program implementation.
Over the last two months, we’ve welcomed three new team members to support programmatic work across our portfolio. Mohammed Maikudi and Abayomi Akinbo are our civic technology experts based in the West Africa office, leveraging years of experience building connections across government, civil society, and private sector actors in Nigeria and beyond. Alyssa Kropp works out of Reboot HQ, using her skills in design, research and project management to uncover creative and practical ideas for our programs.
New Yorkers put open data to work everyday, whether its helping agencies run more effectively or using public City information to improve their communities and businesses. Reboot is currently working with the NYC Open Data Program to develop the City’s first-ever strategic plan for open data, and we’ve developed a brief survey to get YOUR input. If you have 10 minutes, you have the chance to make your voice heard in the process. Survey closes August 6, 2019—submit yours today!
From May 29th to 31st, Panthea Lee, Yop Rwang Pam, Corey Chao, and Ugochi Ekwueme will lead and join sessions at the 6th Open Government Partnership Summit in Ottawa, Canada. Our Thursday session, “The Story of Open: New Tools for Impactful Open Government Journalism,” introduces approaches to support journalists developing accessible narratives around #OpenGov. Our Friday panel, “Culture Hacking for Open Gov: How to Use Art, Film, and Pop Culture to Up Our Impact,” features culture-shapers using different mediums to engage wider audiences in movements for the public good. Follow along at #OGPCanada!
Building on the momentum of our Participatory Budgeting Exchange in November 2018, the Hewlett Foundation has dedicated seed funding to support the launch of a new global PB hub. Applications are open until May 31, 2019 for leading organizations to coordinate knowledge and peer exchange across participatory budgeting initiatives worldwide. Apply today!
On March 20th, Panthea Lee will present on Reboot’s “participatory budgeting” (PB) research, evaluating PB’s potential to deliver on the ambitious objectives that have garnered its global reputation, and offering a deep dive into whether, and how, technologies can enhance this potential. Rebooters Zack Brisson and Amira El Sayed will also be in attendance at TICTeC 2019 and the OECD Anti-Corruption & Integrity Forum in Paris, France.
The Ford Foundation’s Equals Change Blog recently published “Lessons from the foundation’s tech fellows program” by Research Manager Marielle Velander. Based on our work with the inaugural Ford Tech Fellows cohort, where we supported adaptive management at the intersection of technology and social justice, Marielle shares three principles for translating tech into public good.
On March 8th, Marielle Velander will join the makers and doers at this year’s Design Nation Conference in Manhattan, New York, discussing effective design from ideation to influence. Leading an executive seminar, Marielle will speak to Reboot’s design principles and practices with emerging designers, and share why research is a critical piece of the design puzzle.
As part of the Cities, Government & Politics track at this year’s SXSW Conference, Lauren Gardner will lead a session on March 10th illustrating the impact of city spending innovations from Madrid to Mexico City. Sharing insights from our in-depth research in global “participatory budgeting” (PB) processes, she will explore the potential for PB to engage and inform citizens, and perhaps transform our democracies along the way. Join the conversation at #SXSW.
Reboot is excited to participate throughout this year’s NYC Open Data Week, organized by the Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics and BetaNYC. On March 2nd, Zack Brisson will join a panel on open contracting and smart cities at the kickoff School of Data event; on March 7th, Kisha Bwenge and Adam Parker will lead a “Storytelling for Civic Tech” panel; and on March 8th our team will host the closing reception for the week, to celebrate NYC’s vibrant open data community
Meet Reboot’s new spring interns, Royce and Emily! Royce, our Business Development Intern, is currently pursuing his MPA in social impact, innovation, & investment from NYU | Wagner. He brings a range of experience as a marketer and strategist, and will apply his skills to our events and business development team. Emily, our People and Operations Intern, is currently pursuing her MA in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Hofstra University. She specializes in applying psychology to workplace challenges to make individuals, teams and organizations work more efficiently and achieve their goals.
The Journal of Development in Practice recently published “Can ICT-enabled real-time data contribute to adaptive management in development programming?” co-authored by Rebooter Carrie Oppenheimer. Based on our work in Tanzania—with our partners at the Institute of Development Studies, Overseas Development Institute, and Feedback Labs—the article details our research into how development program managers are successfully using real-time data to improve results for a new birth-registration system in the country.
Nigeria Health Watch, a health advocacy and policy blog, published an op-ed by Rebooter Adam Talsma on the importance of government accountability for improved outcomes in the health sector. The piece encourages international aid donors worldwide to include accountability measures in their strategic approach to building effective and sustainable public service delivery within the Nigerian health sector, and beyond.
Zack Brisson and Ugochi Ekwueme will be key participants at the upcoming event, “Tackling corruption: making progress, learning lessons and building capacity,” hosted by Transparency International UK and Wilton Park from January 16-18. Zack will be the lead facilitator for over sixty experts in attendance, synthesizing the open dialogue on effective anti-corruption implementation. Ugochi will bring her expertise in open government to chair a session on building anti-corruption networks across sectors.
Reboot is thrilled to welcome Amira El-Sayed to the team as our new Director of Programs & Strategy. Bringing her expertise in leading complex, large scale transparency and accountability initiatives, Amira will guide Reboot’s work across our portfolio to support public sector innovation around the world. She looks forward to applying her strategic and programmatic skills to further our mission for good governance.
Reboot, in partnership with the Hewlett Foundation, is hosting a new, action-oriented workshop for participatory budgeting (PB) experts, implementers, and funders. Taking place Barcelona, Spain from November 28th to 29th, our PB Exchange will bring together diverse stakeholders to co-design approaches to strengthen PB initiatives. Building on the global momentum of PB, and immediately following the IOPD Conference on participatory democracy, this workshop will focus on peer exchange and problem-solving for PB.
From November 14th to 16th, Zack Brisson will attend the 2018 Bridges Project Retreat: “Re-imagining the Open Society in the Digital Age,” near Paris, France. Hosted by Counterpoint UK and the Open Society European Policy Institute, this retreat will bring together top leaders, researchers, and thinkers in governance and technology to examine the future of digital societies. Participants will discuss interdisciplinary solutions to the dilemmas surrounding our rapidly evolving tech and global politics.
Zack Brisson will be a mentor at the annual Paris Peace Forum from November 11th to 13th, engaging participants around financial transparency with the Open Contracting Partnership, as part of the Paris Peace Forum Hackathon. This convening is a solutions-oriented platform for all global governance actors, including heads of state and local government from 84 countries, to debate and innovate around new models of international collaboration. Follow the conversation at #ParisPeaceForum.
Chioma Agwuegbo, Yop Rwang Pam, and Ugochi Ekwueme will kick off our #ISupportFreePress Campaign on November 2nd in Abuja, and November 3rd in Lagos. In partnership with media organizations across Nigeria, #ISupportFreePress aims to build a social movement around the urgent need to protect press freedom, so that journalists can safely contribute to government accountability and transparency. Show your support on social media with @TheReboot and #ISupportFreePress.
Reboot warmly welcomes our new Program Associate, Ugochi Ekwueme, to our West Africa office. Ugochi brings a range of experience and influence in the media and governance space in Nigeria, working as a strategic communicator, practitioner, and advocate for government transparency. She also draws from her background in documentary film to drive social social change. Ugochi looks forward to contributing to our open governance and media development work across the continent.