Digital development and innovation for Rwanda

Digitalisation is one of Rwanda’s priorities, as reflected in the Government’s National Strategy for Transformation 2017-2024. The information and communication technologies (ICT) sector is well structured, with a proactive policy that has produced significant results in terms of connectivity, developing e-government services, and improving the business environment. 

To maintain this momentum, several initiatives are necessary. They include skills development, private sector investment, and the organisation of awareness-raising campaigns to inform Rwandans about the many opportunities offered by this sector.

Through these innovations, Rwanda aims to become a global, competitive and knowledge-based economy, by providing high standards, high-quality services, and a service for clients in the public and private sectors.

Cooperation in the digital sector is one of the priorities of the diplomatic relations between France and Rwanda. This has resulted in the signing of an agreement between the two countries for a €37 million loan and €1.2 million grant. They will both serve for the use of new technologies to improve public services and for the socio-economic development of Rwanda.

In this context, Agence Française de Développement proposed to finance the FEXTE project for digital development and innovation in Rwanda, which aims to assist the Rwandan administration with the effective management of its digital policies.

It is based on a holistic approach combining training, support for innovation and entrepreneurship, investment, and public engagement to ensure the sustainable development of Rwanda’s digital and space sectors. 

This loan allocated by AFD has enabled the Rwanda Space Agency to develop the Geospatial Hub (GeoHub), a facility to exploit Earth observation data in support of the social and economic development of the country.

The overall objective of the FEXTE project is to support the digital transformation of Rwanda by assisting two key institutions in this sector:

• The Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA), to strengthen interministerial coordination in digital governance in Rwanda and facilitate the implementation of a national strategy centred on new technologies, through tried-and-tested techniques and solutions in the digital public domain in France and abroad
• The Rwanda Space Agency (RSA), to facilitate the creation of an innovative ecosystem promoting synergies between the public/private sectors and the space community, able to support the development of research and the private sector involved in Earth observation 

The Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA) has the mission of digitalising Rwandan society through an increased use of information technologies. For this purpose, the institution manages a team of CDOs (Chief Digital Officers), posted in the main administrative structures to facilitate the digital development of administrations. Its objective now is to increase the digital maturity of administrations and achieve significant improvements in terms of performance and IT efficiency by improving the coordination of the CDOs and scaling up their action. 

Under the project, three tools have been developed to support the action of the CDOs and facilitate the collaboration with the RISA:

• A Digital Maturity Assessment Model, based on four pillars: governance, human and financial resources, tools and methodologies, and change management
• Key performance indicators (KPIs), based on the same pillars, which aim to assess the progress of the structures coordinated by the CDOs with their digital transformation priorities and identify action plans  
• A guide for the CDOs and their teams, listing all the activities and practices related to CDO missions. Designed as a knowledge management tool, it is a tool for the integration of future members of the teams. It will also serve to harmonise practices, by guiding them towards international standards for the management of digital transformation projects

Other materials have also been produced for the CDOs, including on experience feedback, materials from workshops, collaborative ideation documents, thematic notes, and a project management tool to ensure the sustainability of the action.

The Rwanda Space Agency (RSA) is being assisted with the development of a spatial ecosystem. This support comprises three components.

1. Development of human capacities

• Strengthen the skills of the RSA teams in Earth observation and satellite data processing
• Assist with the preparation of a roadmap for the development of a spatial ecosystem in Rwanda
• Facilitate partnerships with French partners in the space sector by organising expert meetings (institutional, industrial, academic, research)
• Design a capacity building plan for data use by private and public operators  

2. Creation of platforms to support innovation in Earth observation 

• Identify the platforms to support innovation and the partners to associate
• Produce recommendations for the creation of a spatial innovation centre

The activities include the preparation of a roadmap on the development of the value chain and the organisation of a hackathon on spatial data. The winners will receive support for the continuation of their projects.

3. Support for the creation of a community of Earth observation data users 

• Organise outreach activities (hackathon, conferences, workshops) to identify and bring together the future users of Rwanda’s GeoHub, in partnership with operators in the French sector
• Identify local partners for the creation of a spatial incubation programme and a community of entrepreneurs