Cybernetica won the nearly 300 000 Euro public tender to develop an interoperability framework in collaboration with Kenyan government agencies.
This tender is part of a larger international project to promote digitalisation in Kenya by supporting the creation of an open and cohesive digital society, funded by the German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ).
According to Cybernetica’s proposal, the interoperability test environment will include two e-services, which will be decided within the project’s framework. By implementing the interoperability framework, Kenya’s public sector will be able to create citizen-centric e-services, implement good e-governance practices and improve public sector capacity. This pilot initiative will serve as both a trial phase for demonstrating value and a starting point for potential broader implementation in the future.
Maksim Ovtšinnikov, the head of Cybernetica's data exchange technologies department, says this project will allow both parties to learn from each other. "The plan is cooperation based on symbiosis, not theoretical workshops on how to properly build an e-state. We are getting to know Kenya's public administration and, accordingly, adapting the solutions that work in Estonia to these specifics," Ovtšinnikov said.
In addition to being an ESTDEV priority country, Kenya is strategically important for Cybernetica. "Although we have already launched several successful solutions in Africa, particularly in Benin, Namibia and Tunisia, Kenya now opens new doors for us in sub-Saharan Africa. We are very proud that we can contribute to the development of countries with e-government solutions that work in Estonia," Ovtšinnikov added.
"Estonia's success in digital development and e-governance, as well as a strong education system and start-up ecosystem, allows us to create and design solutions that fit the context and aspirations of Africa. Estonia can contribute to sustainable development in Africa by working closely with local partners to create solutions suitable for each country’s unique situation," said Katrin Winter, head of the African region at ESTDEV.
The project activities are carried out as part of a project financed by GIZ commissioned by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and cofinanced by Germany and the EU.