- When: 17 February 2021, 08:00 AM – 9:00AM (New York Time)| 07:00PM – 08:00PM (GMT+6)
- Registration: To join this event, please register here
The South-South Network for Public Service Innovation (SSN4PSI), Aspire to Innovate (a2i), the Government of Bangladesh, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office in Bangladesh, and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) are jointly organizing a launch event for the report ‘The South-South Matchmaker: 2019-2020 Best Practices‘.
Background
The South-South Network for Public Service Innovation (SSN4PSI) was launched in 2017 by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and the Government of Bangladesh/a2i. The Network is a Centre of Excellence on Public Service Innovation. It was embarked on to share Bangladesh and other countries in the Network’s experiences and solutions in public service delivery. Following the presentation of the progress made in Bangladesh to High-level UN Officials including the UNDP Administrator and Government Officials from other developing and developed countries, on the sidelines of the Annual General Assembly General Meetings in 2014, 2015, and 2016, launched the Network to bring together countries and their institutions interested in public service delivery innovation. The South-South Cooperation approach recognises that development solutions can be found in any country and institution in the South. Thus, the Network was created to focus on solutions from Bangladesh and other countries as well.
The key focus areas for the SSN4PSI include the Future of Public Service, Future of Civil Service, Future of Finance, Future of Work, Future of Data Innovation, and Future of Commerce. The Network is currently working on a global scale with the support from the United Nations institutions in Asia-Pacific. The network’s objectives are achieved by organising matchmaking events; monitoring, following-up of matchmaking opportunities; facilitating field visits; and creating knowledge products to accelerate knowledge-sharing, peer-to-peer learning, capacity-building, technical cooperation, and technology transfer in public service innovation.
One of the network’s principal tools is its Matchmaking Workshops, from 2017-2019 these workshops were face-to-face events. However, considering the COVID-19 pandemic, the workshops are currently being organised virtually to ensure safety. The Secretariat of the Network, consisting of three staff from a2i and the UNOSSC Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, has collaborated for document development solutions that presented and generated interest (a match) from other participants Network. The South-South Network’s first publication containing twenty-two case studies (the Matchmaker) was published to include the matched cases in 2017-2018. The UNOSSC Director launched this first volume at the 2018 Global South-South Development Expo in New York. These cases and additional cases documented in the interim between the first and second volumes of the matchmaker uploaded in the South-South Galaxy, a knowledge sharing and matchmaking platform of the UN System.
The UN Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, in his report of March 2020 entitled, “Shared responsibility, global solidarity: responding to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19” underlined that, “More than ever before, we need solidarity, hope, and the political will and cooperation” to fight this crisis together. South-South cooperation principles of solidarity and empathy are needed more than ever for an effective response and recovery from the pandemic. Developing countries have taken the lead in showing solidarity in response to COVID-19, providing personal protective equipment (PPEs) and other medical equipment. Furthermore, some have developed sub-regional and common regional strategies to overcome the Pandemic. However, public service leadership is essential in policy-making, building partnerships, and supporting development solutions.
In this respect, the UNOSSC and the Government of Bangladesh/a2i compiled and intended to launch the second volume of the Matchmaker. This publication provides a summary of twenty-four case studies collected from 2019 through 2020.
Objectives
- Launch the second volume of the matchmaker and bring its existence to a broader global audience;
- Provide live testimony from partners that have adopted the public service innovations from the Network;
- Provide views of partners engaged in similar work that are partners but not in the Network;
- Aim to scale up outreach of the Network in the post-COVID-19 period to other developing countries with a particular focus on using low-cost digital technologies to build back better and accelerate the progress that has been dampened by the pandemic; and
- Link the network’s work to the critical role of South-South Cooperation in the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Agenda
Opening Session
1. Welcoming Remarks
- Mr. Sudipto Mukerjee, Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh.
Session 2: Key Points from “The Matchmaker, 2019-2020 Best Practices
1. Overview presentation South-South and Triangular Cooperation role in the SSN4PSI –
- Dr. Adel Abdellatif, Director a.i., UNOSSC
2. Presentation of the second volume of the matchmaker UNOSSC, Asia and the PacificL
- Mr. Asad Uz Zaman, Policy Specialist, a2i Programme, ICT Division/Cabinet Division/UNDP Bangladesh & Lead Secretariat of the South-South Network for Public Service Innovation (SSN4PSI).
- Mr. Denis Nkala, Regional Coordinator for Asia and the Pacific, UNOSSC
Session 3: Testimony, Solidarity and support for the South-South Network for Public Service Innovation from key partners
Moderator: Mr. Anir Chowdhury, Policy Advisor, a2i Programme, ICT Division/Cabinet Division/UNDP Bangladesh and Advisor of the South-South Network for Public Service Innovation (SSN4PSI).
Speakers:
1. Support to replications of SSN4PSI’s innovations through OECD-
- Mr. Benjamin Kumpf, Head of Development Innovation Team, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
2. Promoting South – South and Triangular Cooperation through SSN4PSI
- Dr Nabeel Goheer, Assistant Secretary- General at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.
3. The Potency of Adaptation- experience from the Philippines
- E Naguib G. Sinarimbo, Hon’ble Minister for the Interior and Local Government (MILG), Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Republic of the Philippines.
4. Sharing Best Practices among Southern Nations through SSN4PSI
- H.E. Zunaid Ahmed Palak, MP, Honorable State Minister, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division, Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
5. Sustainable Development, the Decade of Action and the Critical Role of South-South Cooperation
- H.E. Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen, M.P. Honorable Foreign Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
Launching Session
1. Launch and Photos
2. Remarks by the Chair
- N M Zeaul Alam PAA, Senior Secretary, Information and Communication Technology Division, Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology.
3. Vote of Thanks
- Mr. Dr. Md. Abdul Mannan (PAA), Additional Secretary and Project Director, Aspire to Innovate (a2i) Programme, ICT Division/Cabinet Division/UNDP Bangladesh.