Launch first Pilot program

[opengov-africa]

Launch the first pilot program for OpenGov Africa to test project workflows, contributor collaboration, and program delivery.
This pilot must be executed as a zero-cost program, relying on open-source tools, volunteer participation, and existing infrastructure.

The goal is to test coordination, contribution workflows, and program management within the organization.

The pilot will serve as a learning phase to refine operational processes before scaling future programs.

---

Possible Pilot Programs (Select One)

Pilot Option 1: Public Office Register Pilot

Test the workflow for documenting public officials and their career trajectories. Read about this tool from its repository

Example Scope

• Ministers or cabinet members in one country
• Members of parliament
• Governors or state executives

Expected Output

• A verified dataset of public officials
• Sources for each entry
• Structured data uploaded to the repository

Example Volunteer Tasks

• Research official government websites
• Collect names, roles, and tenure dates
• Add verified sources
• Submit data contributions through GitHub

---

Pilot Option 2: Budget Transparency Pilot

Test the ability to analyze and simplify government budgets using open data. Read about this tool from its repository

Example Scope

• One national budget document
• One ministry or sector budget (education, health, infrastructure)

Expected Output

• Plain-language summary of the budget
• Key spending categories documented
• Structured dataset of expenditures

Example Volunteer Tasks

• Download public budget documents
• Extract spending tables
• Categorize expenditures
• Write simplified explanations for public understanding

---

Pilot Option 3: Local Service Atlas Pilot

Test how contributors can document public services available in communities. Read about this tool from its repository

Example Scope
Map public services in one city or region.

Examples:

• Hospitals
• Schools
• Courts
• Police stations

Expected Output

• A structured dataset of public services
• Verified service locations
• Public service directory for the region

Example Volunteer Tasks

• Research public service directories
• Verify addresses and service information
• Map services into shared dataset
• Submit entries for review

Constraints

• The pilot must operate with zero financial cost
• No paid tools, services, or advertising
• Only open-source tools and existing infrastructure may be used
• Work should be carried out through volunteer contributions
• Meetings should be hosted on existing platforms already used by the organization

---

Tasks

Program Design

• Identify candidate projects suitable for a pilot program
• Select one pilot option from the proposed pilots
• Define pilot objectives
• Define success criteria
• Document program scope

Zero-Cost Planning

• Identify resources required for the pilot
• Ensure all tools used are free or open source
• Confirm no financial spending is required
• Identify volunteer contributors who can support the program
• Document how the program will operate without funding

Program Setup

• Assign program lead
• Assign volunteer coordinators
• Define program timeline
• Define key milestones
• Break work into GitHub issues

Program Launch

• Create GitHub milestone for the pilot
• Set up tracking in GitHub Projects
• Announce pilot internally
• Introduce pilot to the contributor community
• Host pilot kickoff meeting

Program Monitoring

• Track weekly progress updates
• Identify and remove operational blockers
• Document lessons learned during the pilot

Program Completion

• Review pilot outcomes
• Document key insights
• Prepare pilot completion report

@OpenGovAfrica/wg-projects-programs