Ghana’s Digital Leap: Citizen Data Shaping Public Services and Governance

The UNDP Global Policy Centre for Governance and the Ghana Statistical Service pioneered a citizen data initiative to enhance governance monitoring by integrating community-driven insights into public service delivery assessments. Through a mobile-based pilot in Ghana, the project demonstrated how inclusive, participatory data collection can improve accountability, transparency, and policymaking for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Global Policy Centre for Governance (GPCG) and the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) have joined forces in a pioneering citizen data initiative aimed at transforming public service delivery monitoring. This marks the first time a UN agency and a National Statistical Office (NSO) have collaborated to integrate citizen-generated data into governance statistics, specifically for monitoring Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, which focuses on Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. By involving communities in data collection, the initiative addresses gaps in governance statistics while providing policymakers with real-time insights into healthcare, education, and government service accessibility. The project also emphasizes inclusivity, particularly for persons with disabilities, ensuring that marginalized voices are heard in decision-making.

Harnessing Citizen Data for Governance

Citizen data refers to information collected through public participation, where individuals contribute at various stages of the data value chain. The Copenhagen Framework on Citizen Data, adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission, lays out ethical guidelines for citizen-driven data collection. This participatory method is already widely used in environmental monitoring and human rights research, but its integration into governance statistics remains limited. The Ghana initiative seeks to change that by using technology-driven approaches to improve data accuracy, frequency, and representation of underserved communities.

The project’s pilot phase was launched in late 2023 and early 2024 in the Ghanaian districts of Ga East and Suhum, using a mobile application developed through a co-design process with government agencies, civil society organizations, and local stakeholders. The app provided multiple language options (English, Twi, and Ga) and accessibility features such as text readers, sign language interpretation, dark/light mode, and voice recording. Additionally, a USSD-based system was incorporated to allow people without smartphones or internet access to participate.

Community Engagement and Awareness Campaigns

To ensure effective community involvement, the initiative established a District Technical Team (DTT) to coordinate local engagement, while a National Technical Team (NTT) provided policy oversight. A public awareness campaign was launched under the slogan “Your direct feedback helps to improve public service delivery in your district”, encouraging widespread participation.

The pilot followed a structured three-step process:

1. Assessing the feasibility of citizen data collection for SDG Indicator 16.6.2, which measures public satisfaction with government services.
2. Developing and implementing the pilot project, ensuring that diverse voices were included in data collection.
3. Analyzing results to compare citizen data with official statistics and explore its potential for scaling up.

The initiative actively involved stakeholders across different sectors through community workshops, town hall meetings, and direct engagement with local authorities. The multi-stakeholder approach strengthened community participation and encouraged trust between citizens and government agencies.

Key Findings from the Pilot Project

The citizen data pilot gathered responses from 897 participants, whose demographic composition closely aligned with Ghana’s 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC). However, the representation of persons with disabilities was significantly higher in the citizen data pilot, showcasing its potential for capturing marginalized perspectives. In Ga East, for instance, 12.4% of participants reported difficulty seeing, compared to only 3% in the census, proving that citizen-driven data collection can improve inclusivity in governance monitoring.

In healthcare services, 69.1% of Ga East participants and 56.5% of Suhum participants required medical attention in the past year. Affordability was the biggest barrier to access, with 28% in Ga East and 43% in Suhum unable to afford healthcare. Despite these challenges, 77% of respondents in Ga East and 69% in Suhum expressed satisfaction with healthcare services.

For education services, 65% of Ga East and 49% of Suhum participants reported having school-aged children at home. While over 84% of children attended public schools, 10-15% were unable to enroll due to poor infrastructure and transportation difficulties. Despite 40% dissatisfaction with school conditions and expenses, 75.2% of respondents in Ga East and 72.2% in Suhum expressed overall satisfaction with public education.

Regarding government-issued identification (ID) services, about 70% of participants had applied for an ID in the past year. The primary challenge was affordability, cited by over 80% in Ga East and 90.2% in Suhum. Other barriers included bureaucratic inefficiencies, long processing times, and perceived discrimination.

Transforming Governance with Citizen Data

A comparison of 2019 and 2024 data revealed crucial insights:

• The demand for government ID services increased significantly, from 36.5% in 2019 to 70.5% in 2024, with affordability emerging as a major barrier.
• In healthcare, the financial burden increased, with 34% of respondents in 2024 struggling to afford services, compared to 18% in 2019.
• Education statistics remained stable, with over 84% of students attending public schools in both surveys.

The initiative demonstrated that citizen-driven data can complement official statistics, offering more frequent, inclusive, and cost-effective data collection methods. It also raised awareness among government agencies about the potential of community-driven governance monitoring.

However, citizen data also presents challenges, particularly in ensuring representative participation. If not properly designed, citizen-driven initiatives can suffer from bias, where certain demographics or individuals with extreme views are overrepresented. To mitigate this, careful planning, inclusive engagement strategies, and regulatory frameworks are necessary.

Moving forward, the success of Ghana’s pilot project presents an opportunity for scaling up citizen data initiatives globally. Future recommendations include expanding these pilots to more regions, developing national regulations to integrate citizen data into official statistical systems, and investing in technological innovations that enhance data collection, analysis, and security. Additionally, fostering peer-learning networks among statistical offices, civil society organizations, and UN agencies will encourage knowledge-sharing and capacity-building.

Ghana’s citizen data initiative sets a global precedent for democratizing governance monitoring. By leveraging participatory data collection methods, it strengthens accountability and transparency in public service delivery. As governments worldwide seek to achieve SDG 16 targets, this initiative provides a scalable, inclusive, and efficient model for citizen-driven policymaking. The project underscores the transformative potential of participatory data approaches, ensuring that governance decisions are more reflective of citizens' needs and experiences.