Code for Pakistan, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board (KPITB), the World Bank, and Helvetas hosted a graduation ceremony at Durshal Peshawar for the seventh cycle of the KP Government Innovation Fellowship Program (seventh cycle) and the first-ever KP Women Civic Internship Program.
This year, 19 fellows from across KP and nine women interns from underserved districts worked on several innovative digital solutions for seven government partners in the province that simplify citizen access to government services and enable government departments to move toward digital transformation.
Together, they worked in various capacities to create the following solutions:
- A Case Management System for the Advocate General Office KP
- A Mercy Petition System for the Inspector General Prisons KP
- A License and Product Registration System, and Citizens Feedback app for the Halal Food Authority KP
- A Management Information System for all existing sports facilities in KP for the Directorate of Sports KP
- A Monitoring and Evaluation System in partnership with the KPITB
- An online complaint redressal system and mobile app for Public Safety and Police Complaints Commission
- Support to the Directorate of Livestock and Dairy Research on the Lab Information Management System
These innovative apps and online solutions were developed using design thinking best practices and user-centric design approaches, with the involvement of the public and various stakeholders to meet the demands of Pakistani citizens.
A key component of both programs was the professional development and training of the fellows and interns. This was made possible by conducting nearly 60 training and mentoring sessions that imparted knowledge, entrepreneurial skills, and training to the fellows and also equipping women interns with the technological skills and hands-on training enabling them to explore a career in engineering, IT, and software development.
Manager KP Government Innovation Fellowship Program, Ibraheem Saleem, remarked, “We are grateful to the World Bank, KPITB, and Helvetas for supporting these two programs. We hope that this type of partnership serves as a model for other agencies that want to support the next generation. The last seven cycles have shown us that when we partner with our government, we can work together to create solutions that meet the needs of Pakistanis, no matter where they are”.
Managing Director KPITB, Dr. Ali Mahmud, said, “The KP Government Innovation Fellowship and the KP Women Civic Internship Program have helped KP IT Board in its mandate to accelerate culture change within our government and to focus on developing digital solutions. Through that, our citizens have greater opportunity to improve their skills, giving them more choice once the fellowship and internship end”.
The graduation ceremony recognizes the efforts of our fellows and interns, highlighting the impact that has been made so far by the solutions developed. Since it started several years ago, the KP Government Innovation Fellowship Program has facilitated 26 government departments through 37 digital solutions. The fellowship has trained 378 government officers and served over a million users.
