The CTIN Community Is Made Up Of Practitioners, Leaders, Activists, Technologists, Researchers, And Public Servants With An Interest And Commitment To Leveraging The Nexus Between Technology And Civic Activism.
CTIN COMMITMENT
CTIN is committed to a society that is more just, equitable, and sustainable. As such, CTIN supports its community towards the growth, development, and effective use of appropriate digital technologies and methodologies in connecting government and citizens, in public participation, in transparency and accountability and in delivering public services.
CTIN was launched in 2017 as a learning network.
The Network grew out of a Making All Voices Count (MAVC) community of practice that ran from 2014 until 2017. During the Making All Voices Count establishment phase, a website and an online magazine were created, with a newsletter reaching over one thousand people, this then evolved into the CTIN.
CTIN launched in 2017 with a set of activities and an online platform for partners and members. Initial funding was provided by MAVC which was a global transparency and governance initiative. In 2018, CTIN secured funding from the Omidyar Foundation (now Luminate) to support the network’s core activities until 2020, dependent on securing additional funding in 2019.
CTIN now has a dedicated capacity including a National Coordinator and launched a two-year programme of publications, local and national events, and projects.
CTIN currently has a mailing list of over a thousand people in government, civil society organisations and tech organisations. The Journalism and Media Lab (“JamLab”), on behalf of the Journalism and Media Department of the University of Witwatersrand, acted as a host to the CTIN until April 2020.
CTIN’s incubation through the Journalism and Media Lab (JamLab) has been significant because JamLab’s partnering between Wits Journalism and the Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct means that it has been possible to leverage strong synergies across the domains of new technologies, journalism and media innovation, and social justice / civic activism.
With the emerging linkage to the Wits School of Governance, we also envisage strengthening the link to the field of public administration and governance.
CTIN’s core mission
The Civic Tech Innovation Network is a hub for information, learning, and collaborations in the ‘civic tech’ space. The CTIN’s overarching goal was initially set as producing and delivering actionable learning for South African and African organisations and people active in or interested in innovation in government, transparency, governance, and accountability processes.
The purpose of the innovation network included promoting the growth and development of appropriate and effective use of digital technologies in connecting government and citizens, in public participation, in transparency and accountability and in delivering public services.
The organisation has mainly continued to be guided by these initial aspirations. CTIN is focused on how new technologies can improve governance and accountability, how we can bridge digital divides and support service delivery, and how new technologies can be used to monitor or provide feedback to the government so that things can work better. CTIN, with and in support of its community, works towards realising these goals (and claims) about ‘civic tech’.
CTIN aims to connect practitioners, researchers, experts and decision-makers with interests in civic tech and provide a platform for them to learn, share knowledge and experience and collaborate.
By connecting people with diverse knowledge, skills, experience and expertise and providing relevant information and insights on civic tech from the African continent and elsewhere, the innovation network aims to contribute to growing the civic tech community, improving practices and outcomes.
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