---
title: 4-1 Regional Diversity and Variations in East and South Asia
tags: jothon, NDI
---
:::success
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"g0v Civic Tech Project & Community Handbook" is licensed under CC BY-NC.
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# 4-1 Regional Diversity and Variations in East and South Asia｜g0v Civic Tech Project & Community Handbook

### Chapter 4: Current Status of Civic Tech Projects and Communities in Other Asian Countries

## Regional Diversity and Variations in East and South Asia

:::info
This section includes information partially from participants at the “Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly 2023” and “Facing the Ocean Meet & Hack 2023” events, as well as the panel discussion on “Public-Private Collaboration is an Ideal and a Challenge - The Bitter History of Cross-Departmental Cooperation” (March 22, 2022).

#### 1. Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly 2023
In May 2023, Cofacts, a g0v project, and g0v Jothon were invited by the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) to host a panel and workshop at the "Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly 2023" conference. The conference was held at Chiang Mai University and brought together 544 participants from 35 different countries with diverse backgrounds. Attendees included digital and human rights advocates, journalists, media producers, artists, designers, engineers, youth advocates, and representatives from marginalized communities, among others. Over five days, the conference featured over 160 different types of events and discussions on various topics.

#### 2. Facing the Ocean Meet & Hack (FtO) Jeju 2023
Facing the Ocean (FtO) is a community of civic hackers living in the West Pacific Ocean region, including Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong etc. The “Facing the Ocean Meet & Hack” is a series of hackathon events organized by the FtO community since 2019.

“FtO 2023” is organized by Code for Korea, Code for Japan, and g0v international, a g0v project focused on international connection.

#### 3. Public-Private Collaboration is an Ideal and a Challenge - The Bitter History of Cross-Departmental Cooperation (March 22, 2022)
This panel discussion was formed by representatives from various public and private sectors in Taiwan to share the challenges and experiences they encountered in past cross-departmental collaborations. They also provided reflections and recommendations concerning implementation and institutional aspects.

:::

## 1. The Current State of Civic Tech in East Asia and South Asia

### (1) Vietnam

Civic tech participants from Vietnam shared insights into three local civic tech communities and projects: TUVA Communication, Listening Vietnam, and SOS Map.

#### A. TUVA Communication


“TUVA Communication” is a project that offers social project consulting and communication services. They provide services such as consulting, research, media marketingdesign, communication, and technological solutions to Vietnamese social organizations and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. In addition to these services, TUVA Communication organizes various training sessions and events, connecting relevant experts to provide communication training to social organizations and youth groups, both online and in person.

> Website: https://tuva.work/
#### B. Listening Vietnam
Listening Vietnam was initiated and sponsored by TUVA Communication in 2017. It primarily focuses on collecting and connecting open data and uses social listening tools to provide internet data to researchers in Vietnam. The goal is to generate more meaningful data about Vietnam to enhance further research and development. Currently, the project faces several challenges: (1) Being a non-profit organization, it lacks sufficient resources for sustainable development, and (2) the project team currently has only one developer and lacks sufficient funds to hire more engineering professionals.

> Website: https://tuva.work/du-lieu-nghien-cuu/

#### C. SOS Map
During the COVID-19 pandemic, SOS Map was developed due to Vietnam’s policies restricting food delivery and takeout services. It aims to connect people who can provide food to those in need. The platform also facilitates the provision of masks, protective equipment, and cash assistance.

> Image from [Vietnam Times](https://vietnamtimes.org.vn/vietnams-digital-map-connecting-to-help-people-in-need-34436.html)

### (2) India

Respondents from India believe that in India, due to a lower level of trust in the government by the people, it is more challenging to execute collaborations between the public and the government, such as the public-private partnership between the g0v community and the government. Currently, India may have very few or limited civic tech communities or projects, with one example somewhat similar to civic tech projects being the "[Civic Data Lab](https://civicdatalab.in/about)." This project is dedicated to promoting citizen participation in public reform efforts through open knowledge. It aims to enhance the data and technology capabilities of governments, non-profit organizations, think tanks, media, universities, and others to achieve data-driven decision-making at scale.

### (3) Myanmar

Respondents from Myanmar stated that there was a project called "Code for Change Myanmar" in the past, which organized several hackathons. However, due to ongoing development challenges, some members of Code for Change Myanmar transitioned to establish another entity focusing on civic tech called "Phandeeyar." They connected with the tech community and began conducting various training programs for journalists, civic participation, and related work.


In 2015, during the Myanmar elections, Phandeeyar collaborated with other NGOs, the election commission, and technologists to create APIs and to develop civic tech election projects through public-private cooperation. Up until the 2021 coup, Phandeeyar continued to develop tools that facilitated direct communication between citizens and their representatives. Besides promoting civic tech projects, Phandeeyar also sought to make these projects sustainable for use in other contexts and by individuals or groups interested in similar issues in other countries.

> Website: http://phandeeyar.org/


In addition to Phandeeyar, Myanmar has another civic tech project, the Myanmar Internet Project. Established in 2022, it documents Myanmar's internet history from its first political internet blockade in 2007 to the widespread propagation of hate speech on social media from 2012 to 2017 as well as the digital history since the 2021 coup in Myanmar. The aim is to facilitate further research through historical records.

In Myanmar, anything related to democracy is considered a threat. Many individuals working on democratic issues cannot use their real names to advocate for these causes. This makes it challenging to implement civic tech, particularly after the 2021 coup. Promoting media literacy and digital security awareness in Myanmar is not only challenging but also risky. As a result, individuals often need to leave Myanmar to work on civic tech projects related to the country in other nations, such as Melbourne, Sri Lanka, Chiang Mai, and more.

Even if the contributors try to implement civic tech projects in other countries, communication sometimes needs to be anonymous due to the high demand for digital privacy. This anonymity can hinder sustainability and further strengthen the initial drive. Even with proposed sustainable models such as creating communities, challenges related to citizen engagement and sustainable development remain significant hurdles.

> Website: https://www.myanmarinternet.info/


Myanmar is currently under a military regime. One cannot use a real name to establish a community like g0v or disclose the project's members to the public. To ensure personal safety and adherence to privacy and human rights principles, any project implementation or initiation must prioritize these principles to avoid violations of basic human rights. Establishing a civic tech community in Myanmar requires adjustment of the culture of civic tech projects to protect identities and safety. A civic tech community in Myanmar following the g0v model may be possible if these conditions are met, and participants are not targeted by government or military scrutiny. Such a community could promote social awareness, such as raising the public’s awareness of safety is not influenced by the military government. Additionally, achieving public-private cooperation may be more challenging in Myanmar to avoid potential complications.

### (4) China

Respondents from China believe that one could learn experiences from the early stages of g0v to run or establish a community in China. It could be difficult and potentially impossible to establish a sustainable community in China. This is because the risks of maintaining a sustainable community and ensuring its stability often require staff recruitment. Therefore, in China, it might only be possible to discreetly work on a specific project focused on a particular topic. These projects must be built, completed, and disbanded rapidly. Subsequently, they can regroup swiftly for another project related to a specific topic before dispersing again, all to safeguard the personal safety of participants.

### (5) Thailand

> Image from [ELECT.in.th](https://elect.in.th/politics-and-business/#/p/%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B9%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%A2%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B7%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%99)

Since the coup in Thailand in 2014, civil rights, including the right to vote, were indefinitely suspended. The first post-coup Thai general election was held on March 24, 2019, and this marked an eight-year gap since the last valid election. The election gained significant attention. At the end of 2018, several private sector companies in media, technology, design, and more collaborated to develop the open-source project “ELECT.in.th.” This project aimed to interpret complex election data using data visualization, interactive content, and gamification to provide citizens with readable, credible, and useful information. It also aimed to spread the influence of democratic thinking. As the 2019 Thai general election adopted a mixed-member apportionment system, ELECT developed the open-source project “Elect Live!” to provide real-time computation of current vote counts and seats in a visual format, offering citizens the latest vote tally information.

> Image from [Elect Live!](https://elect.thematter.co/)

Inspired by Cofacts, a g0v open-source project, Thailand established the “Cofact Thailand” project. This initiative combines civic tech and news media, allowing an editorial team and volunteers to verify information together. It provides a platform for citizens to share and exchange trustworthy information while distinguishing between facts and personal opinions. This empowers everyone to become fact-checkers to address the issue of fake news in the digital age. Additionally, Cofact Thailand provides a LINE bot for citizens to report suspicious messages. One member of Cofact Thailand shared that, due to Thailand’s political context, there is a general distrust of the media so fact-checking projects have gained more trust and usability in Thailand. However, due to Thailand’s vast territory and significant urban-rural divide, it is necessary to promote it locally in different regions, enabling more people to know and use Cofact Thailand while maintaining the community. Besides fact-checking, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cofact Thailand collaborated with the Thai Ministry of Public Health to promote correct public health information, allowing citizens to effectively access accurate health education information.

> Image from [Cofact Thailand](https://blog.cofact.org/category/fact-checks/)

> Elect Live! Website: https://elect.in.th
> Cofact Thailand Website: https://cofact.org/

### (6) Malaysia

> Image from [Sinar Project](https://sinarproject.org/)

Sinar Project, a civic tech project in Malaysia, systematically provides open data and policy analysis for public access. This initiative aims to make the Malaysian government and parliament more open and transparent, fostering civic participation in public affairs and supervising government policy and corruption issues.

> Website: https://sinarproject.org/
### (7) Korea

#### A. Introduction to Korean Civic Tech Communities

##### a. Code for Korea
> Image from [Code for Korea](https://codefor.kr/)

One of Korea’s civic tech communities, Code for Korea, is composed of Korean volunteer citizens who came together to address social issues with digital technology. These issues encompass climate change, government open data, labor safety, social events, political donations, and more. Code for Korea was founded in February 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Around 17 citizens developed the “Public Mask” app, and more than 200 civic hackers helped sort out Covid-19 related public data. The community consists of volunteers with diverse interests in civic tech, including engineers, designers, journalists, lawyers, planners, and social activists, who collaborate to operate the community and work on projects.

Code for Korea hosts "Meet & Hack (hackathon)" approximately once a month, both online and offline, allowing community members to share and collaborate on projects.

> Code for Korea website: https://codefor.kr/](https://codefor.kr/

##### b. NullFull (널채움)
> Image from [NullFull](https://nullfull.kr)

NullFull has been an active civic tech community since 2016, holding meetings every Monday. Participants include developers, social activists, designers, data analysts, and system engineers. Here are some of the projects that this community has developed:

* Creating a map of restaurants parliament members prefer based on publicly available data from annual expenditure financial reports.
* Assisting consumers in examining if a product comes from one of the “notorious” food companies by scanning product barcodes and uploading them to a website.
* Establishing a system that allows voters to directly email parliamentary candidates, requesting amendments to current criminal laws for higher penalties against sex offenders.
* Improving lower-quality data visualizations in the media and remaking them through NullFull.

> NullFull Website: https://nullfull.kr

##### c. Semicolon Community

Originating from the “Korea Code Fair,” an initiative established by the Korean Ministry of Science and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology. Community members are students from middle school and high school who come from all over the country. They manage their platform with real-time communication through instant messaging tools.

What makes this community special is not only their enthusiasm for civic tech but also the fact that it includes high school students from various fields of software engineering. Here are some of the projects initiated by this community:

- **Virus (유바이러스)**: Following the COVID-19 pandemic, this platform provides data on domestic and international cases, including predictions, the travel routes of infected individuals, and more.

- **Mask Finder (마스크찾아줌)**: Building on the previous project, the community developed this service to provide data on public mask inventory. It’s worth noting that a key factor to make this success was collaboration with the South Korean government, which provided an API for mask data.

#### B. Sharing Experiences of Civic Tech Projects in Korea

##### a. Map of Gazettes
> Image from [Map of Gazettes](https://gongbo.codefor.kr/)

Map of Gazettes, a project from Code for Korea, was initiated during the open data day in 2022. It involved 15 citizen hackers who voluntarily collected 243 public messages from local governments, including those published in PDF and DOC formats. The project also involved evaluating the level of digitization of public messages from various local governments. For instance, the Busan Electronic Gazette doesn't upload the entire gazette in PDF format; instead, it provides documents for each item in the gazette, along with metadata such as document type and publishing organization, allowing the public to search using this metadata.

However, due to the significant variation in public messages among local governments, assessing the level of digitization was often challenging. After successfully collecting the data, this project received funding sponsorship from the National Information Society Agency (NIA) of Korea. Participants in the project noted that there was no direct collaboration with the government. They suggested that it would be beneficial for both parties if there were opportunities for direct communication with government officials to bring a greater impact.

> Project website: https://gongbo.codefor.kr/

##### b. terrorless（테러리스）
> Image from [terrorless](https://terrorless.01ab.net/)

Operated by the 01ab team which consists of four university students, the terrorless project was developed in response to public anxiety caused by random murder incidents in Korea in 2023. This project provides real-time updates on terrorist threats, links to relevant news articles, and information about the suspects in a map format. It not only allows communities to access information but also provides a platform for the public to report potential threats, contributing to public safety.

The project was quickly adopted by the public and integrated into daily life. The website received over 50,000 visitors on the first day of its launch, highlighting the immediate relevance and value that the project provides. In the face of declining social security in Korea, the team aimed to ease the increasing social anxiety, especially about online threats.

> Project website: https://terrorless.01ab.net/

#### C. Experiences in Collaborating with the Government

Korean civic tech participants pointed out that the relationship between the government and civic tech projects should be an equal partnership rather than an employment relationship. When government officials view project partners as employees, it can require a significant amount of communication, including some officials asking for detailed information on how the budget is being spent, such as the current location of purchased items.

The Korean government is very cautious about budget and considers it a key factor in major decisions, including specific ways to use budget, personnel hiring, and the organization’s ethical and credit reputation. However, the expectations of civic tech projects/communities go beyond just budget. They include the power of the government on decision-making, and a willingness to provide continuous support. Sometimes, when there is a turnover in government, the budget may be reduced and officials often perceive it as the end of a project. However, a project with a budget cut can have different management. Citizens should also pay attention to the sustainability of these projects.

Korean civic tech participants believe that, regardless Korean civic tech participants believe that, regardless of the budget size, civic tech projects/communities need to focus more on connecting people and communities and finding their autonomy to avoid the impact of budget fluctuations on the entire project.

Additionally, it is essential to support government officials in understanding civic tech and recognizing the benefits of collaboration. Civic tech participants from South Korea shared that there is always a certain level of competition between governments. They want to outperform other countries or local governments and are interested in replicating successful experiences from other regions. Therefore, they need relevant cases, regulations, policies, and other data to serve as benchmarks. Government officials may have limited technical understanding so it is crucial to provide experiences and cases rather than just codes and technical details. Moreover, designing education and training for civil servants in civic tech is vital. This may require communicators and teaching materials to bridge the gap between civic tech and government. Another consideration is to issue “Civic Tech Collaboration” certificates to government officials. In the collaboration process, understanding and achieving the government’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are also essential since KPIs are a common language for both sides. Government officials may not have strong personal preferences for the goals of civic tech projects. They may prioritize metrics such as media coverage and other quantifiable factors and this does not conflict with the project’s objectives. Additionally, some South Korean government officials may come forward to learn more about the civic tech projects/communities, and they return to their organizations to share their experiences internally. Maintaining a balanced relationship between both sides is crucial as being overly close is not always beneficial.

### (8) Japan

#### A. Introduction to the Civic Tech Community in Japan
a. Code for Japan(CfJ)
> Image from [Code for Japan](https://www.code4japan.org/zh-TW)

Code for Japan (CfJ) is a Japanese civic tech community that advocates for “a society where we think and create together” (ともに考え、ともにつくる社会). With the rise of the concept of civic tech, CfJ has regional communities called “Code for X (Region/Topic Name)” across Japan. From Hokkaido to Okinawa, there are currently about 80 such communities, including ones like Code for Sake and Code for Japan. CfJ uses platforms like Slack, Notion, and GitHub to manage its community and develop projects, and anyone interested in civic tech is welcome to participate freely on these collaborative platforms. In addition to online community participation and asynchronous project collaboration, CfJ also hosts a one-day “Social Hack Day” hackathon every month. This event allows community members to propose various interests and projects they want to develop and collaborate on them together in person.

Furthermore, CfJ organizes various introductory events for newcomers in civic tech, such as Civictech Live!, an event designed for newcomers to start a conversation. Starting in 2020, CfJ also initiated the “Civictech Challenge Cup U-22” to encourage students to understand social issues and brainstorm for solutions. Beginning with identifying and targeting problems, through processes like surveys and user interviews, they attempt to develop initial product prototypes to promote social development through civic tech.

Currently, CfJ has applied for corporate status and employs a small number of full-time staff to support community operations.
> Code for Japan website: https://www.code4japan.org/zh-TW

#### B. Experience Sharing of Civic Tech Projects in Japan

##### a. Code for Sake
> Image from [Code for Sake](https://sakepedia.code4sake.org/)

Before World War II, Japan had 5,500 sake breweries. However, as of 2017, there were only about 1,500 remained, less than one-third of the original number. The top 13 sake breweries hold more than 50% of the market share, the rest are small breweries. With more beverage options like beer and wine available today, many small sake breweries face financial difficulties. With 20-50 citizens collaborating, this project aims to address this issue. It collects data on sake and sake breweries from across Japan, integrates lost historical data, and utilizes digital technology to establish stronger connections between producers and consumers. Additionally, it aims to preserve sake culture and pass down techniques of sake production, making the industry more sustainable. This project is still evolving through CfJ’s monthly hackathons. The main current challenge is how to take over and track unfinished tasks within the project.

> Project Website: https://sakepedia.code4sake.org/

##### b. NHK Hackathon 2022
> Image from [NHK 取材ノート](https://note.com/nhk_syuzai/n/n781b30508c46)

The 2022 NHK Hackathon, organized by NHK with assistance from CfJ, focused on disaster prevention. The hackathon invited participants to exchange ideas related to disaster prevention and develop demos of these ideas, with the hope of collectively brainstorming ways to protect everyone's lives. Approximately 60 people participated on the event day, resulting in a total of 11 project teams.

> Project Website: https://note.com/nhk_syuzai/n/n781b30508c46

##### c. Civictech Zen Chiba
> Image from [Civictech Zen Chiba](https://sites.google.com/view/civictechzenchiba/)

There are several regional civic tech projects in Chiba Prefecture. After CfJ held a summit in Chiba in 2019, these projects formed an alliance of about 10-30 people to organize gatherings and events together. Project collaboration takes place when necessary, such as on cross-regional projects and large-scale events, otherwise, they focus on their activities.

> Project Website: https://sites.google.com/view/civictechzenchiba/

##### d. Coco Makers
> Image from [Coco makers](https://cocomakersmap.glitch.me/1st.map.html)

To solve the problem of people with hyperacusis who often encounter sound stimuli when they are in cafes and restaurants, this project utilizes a simple user interface to invite users to report and evaluate various sounds and stimuli in different restaurants and cafes, including loud conversations by children, kitchen water sounds, door opening and knocking sounds, clock ticking, etc. The information is presented on a map, making it easier for those with auditory sensitivity to go outside.

This project was founded by four students from different regions of Japan, who collaborate on the project online. To enhance effective collaboration, team members share their situations and strengths and assign tasks accordingly. The major challenge was how to identify the needs. For some, openly expressing their sensitivity to stimuli made them uncomfortable. However, if they can receive support to create a more comfortable environment, it is crucial to let others know who needs support and what kind of support is needed. The project hopes to reduce the pressure people with hyperacusis would have when they express themselves, while ensuring that cafe staff and owners do not perceive the introduction of this service as an additional burden to their daily work.

One of the project’s initiators believes that the key to successfully driving civic tech projects lies in team management and determining the roles of each contributor based on the project’s mission. Additionally, setting goals, defining key performance indicators (KPIs) for achieving those goals, and involving all stakeholders in the decision-making process are all essential.

> Project Website: https://cocomakersmap.glitch.me/1st.map.html

##### e. Tokyo COVID-19 Task Force Website
> Image from [Tokyo COVID-19 Task Force website](https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/)

This project is a collaborative effort between the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, CfJ, and 315 citizens to create a website that compiles information about COVID-19 in Tokyo.

(i) Key Factors Contributing to the Successful Development of the Project Included:

- Establishing an Effective Communication Platform

Anyone interested in participating could use Slack for communication and view/edit open-source code on GitHub, which lowers the technical barrier to participation by making the technology open-source.

- Lowering the Participation Barrier
After the website was built, the project participated in CfJ’s Hackathon. The Hackathon offered tutorials on how to improve website usability and multilingualism, allowing interested participants to learn. Several participants joined the project’s website development after finishing the tutorials.

- Utilizing the Resources Accumulated by the Civic Tech Community
During the development process, the project made use of the open-source project “Paper Map” developed by the civic tech community. Paper Map was created by CfJ in response to the damage caused by Typhoon No. 19 in Chiba and other eastern regions of Japan in 2019. It is an information aggregation website that maps useful information during disasters, such as water supply, shelters, free Wi-Fi, gas stations, and more. This project was developed using “NuxtJS,” a technology that can remain steady during development by multiple developers. With the human resources and Paper Map technology, the Tokyo COVID-19 Task Force website project can effectively utilize the open-source experience of its predecessors in the development process.

(ii) Challenges

Since GitHub is inherently open for anyone to participate in the development, even Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials and people outside CfJ can contribute to the website development. However, allowing unrestricted modifications to the source code by anyone can lead to chaos. To prevent this, members of CfJ reviewed and discussed proposals submitted to GitHub to determine their suitability.

Only changes that pass the review stage can be seen on the actual website. By setting constraints during the development process, proposed modifications are aggregated in a way that doesn’t confuse while still accommodating various suggestions from citizens.

However, in the technical coordination process, some decisions inevitably cannot be made solely by engineers and require consultation with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Therefore, when there are only a few people are able to coordinate such difficult issues, the development burden often lies on a small group of people.

> Project websites: https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/ & https://github.com/Tokyo-Metro-Gov/covid19

##### f. Kakogawa City Civic Participation Decision-Making Platform (加古川市市民参加型合意形成プラットフォーム)

> Image from [加古川市市民参加型合意形成プラットフォーム](https://kakogawa.diycities.jp/)

This platform is a collaboration between the Kakogawa City Hall and CfJ and has been in operation since October 2020. The platform serves as a forum for collecting citizen opinions, making discussions, and formulating policies accordingly, ensuring urban development aligns better with residents’ needs and reflects their voices in actual policies. For example, after collecting public opinions through the platform, the “Kakogawa Smart City Concept” (加古川市スマートシティ構想) was formulated in March 2021, and its current implementation status is publicly available. The aim is to continue gathering public input and ideas for the future development of Kakogawa City. The platform also supports topics related to physical space planning. For instance, in February 2023, the Kakogawa City Hall announced the Development Plan of Area around JR Kakogawa Station (draft). Using this platform, they collected citizens’ opinions and transformed the station’s surrounding area into a more attractive tourist destination.

> Project Website: https://kakogawa.diycities.jp/

#### C. Experiences in Government Collaboration

Members of CfJ indicated that the Kakogawa City Civic Participation Decision-Making Platform is an excellent example. Although Kakogawa City is very small, its government is highly proactive, making the collaboration very successful. Starting from a smaller metropolitan area has encouraged a lot of cities with similar conditions to believe in their capabilities. Additionally, the initiative didn’t come from the mayor. It was a city government official who brought members of the civic tech community into the office. This made communication much easier, and they could execute more effortlessly. With that said, people play a vital role, and it requires someone within the government office who shares the same values as the community. Furthermore, it’s important to note that communication with different levels of government may require different approaches. Regarding the relationship with the government, CfJ members mentioned that because CfJ’s founder joined the Japanese Digital Agency, it’s a bit challenging to delineate the relationship with the government.

### (9) Taiwan
The Taiwan civic tech community and projects have been introduced in the preceding sections. This paragraph will focus on sharing collaboration experiences between civic tech organizations and the government.

Taiwan employs various models of public-private collaboration, including the government releasing open data for civilian use and oversight, providing platforms for citizens to express their opinions or participate in decision-making, inviting civilian experts and scholars to jointly develop or implement policies, and civil organizations bidding for government projects. The following key points summarize the content shared by representatives from the public and private sectors during the panel discussion titled "Public-Private Collaboration is an Ideal and a Challenge - The Bitter History of Cross-Departmental Cooperation."

#### A. Core Elements of Public-Private Collaboration
##### a. Believe that there are always individuals within every system who are willing to make the change.

##### b. Openness: This includes openly sharing meeting minutes, contact information, and other relevant data.

##### c. Tangibility: Creating prototypes for proposed solutions. Tangibility not only helps both parties stand at the same starting point in discussions but also encourages greater commitment and creativity with prototyping.

#### B. Key Points in the Process of Public-Private Collaboration

##### a. Find Public Sector Personnel Who Are Open to Collaborating with Private Entities
Increase visibility and advocacy momentum. Raise the profile and enthusiasm for your advocacy efforts. Prepare a compact version of your proposal. When opportunities arise, approach senior officials directly with your suggestions. Comprehensive preparation, a clear focus on the key points of your advocacy, and effective storytelling are crucial for success.

##### b. Gain a Comprehensive Understanding of the Needs and Find the Pain Points of All Stakeholders Through Multiple Perspectives

While the government primarily serves the public, sometimes the most critical factor in public-private collaboration may not necessarily be the people but government officials. Therefore, it is essential to understand the needs of different roles and identify the actual pain points.

RR, a g0v participant, who previously served as the executive secretary of the Tainan City Government Smart City Office, shared insights from a government perspective. Using the example of the COVID-19 vaccination project in Tainan, when the pandemic hit, most policies were geared toward the general public. However, this project shifted its focus to healthcare workers and discovered numerous challenges in the registration process.

The first successful step in this project was to engage with personnel from the local health agency in person, understand their needs, and design a system accordingly. Whenever a large-scale vaccination site was set up, RR went on-site as registration personnel, identifying problems and where digitization was needed. Once they reached a consensus, the functions were integrated into the system.

This process also built trust and a collaborative model. RR pointed out that government leaders were initially hesitant about “new ideas,” but seeing the positive response from Health Bureau colleagues, they eventually recognized the value and continued to support the efforts. After optimization, with connections to various databases, vaccination appointments could be completed in just 30 seconds, and the registration process required minimal time for data entry. This not only made it more convenient for the elderly but also reduced the cluster risks.

##### c. Communication and Meetings

Using the experience of collaboration between LASS and the Water Resources Agency (WRA) as an example, LASS founder, Hsu Wuulong, emphasized that the most crucial aspect of cooperation is communication. He believed that for any challenging issue, the key to a solution is meetings. He stated, “To address any difficulties, you must have meetings; it often takes several meetings to resolve matters. Public-private collaboration is essentially an ongoing and progressive series of meetings.” Meetings are not the end goal; the objective is to reach conclusions and make progress. Important elements of public-private collaboration meetings include:

- Open Enrollment and Real Names: Anyone can register for collaboration meetings with real-name registration.

- Advocacy Opportunities: Give citizens the opportunity to advocate during meetings. For example, NGOs attending for the first time must have a five-minute slot to share their advocacy content.

- Agreement on Meeting Themes and Procedures: Meeting themes and processes must be agreed upon by both public and private sectors.

- Fixed but Flexible Meetings: Meetings occur at regular intervals, approximately every two months, but the schedule is not rigid.

- Open Data:
* Contact List: After registration, participants receive a contact list of attendees. The foundation of collaboration is knowing who is attending and being able to establish contact, as collaboration relies on cooperation.
* Meeting Minutes: Meeting minutes are collaborative documents, and at the end of each meeting, they are collectively reviewed and subsequently made public once confirmed.
* Presentations: Presentation materials should be submitted before the meeting and provided to everyone beforehand. Attendees are expected to review the presentations before entering the meeting, as meetings are held to reach conclusions.
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**Introduction to LASS**

LASS (Location Aware Sensing System) is an open-source and nonprofit “environmental sensor network system” initiated by Wuulong Hsu. Through an open-source approach, LASS mobilizes makers from all over Taiwan to build and deploy sensor devices for environmental monitoring. This initiative aims to make it easy for anyone to set up these devices, and understand and share environmental condition data.

LASS has developed device models like the "Air Box" for real-time monitoring of PM2.5 concentrations, allowing individuals to independently monitor the air quality in their living areas, complementing official air quality monitoring stations. Additionally, LASS connects communities and shares achievements through platforms such as Facebook, collaborative tools, and GitHub, forming the LASS community.

Starting in 2020, LASS engaged in a public-private collaboration with the Water Resources Agency in the "Touqian River Demonstration Project." This collaboration involves cross-agency cooperation between the public and private sectors and the implementation of a smart water network to manage the Touqian River in Hsinchu. This public-private collaboration not only created a model for public-private cooperation but also assessed the data needs of the community and the resources the government could provide, leading to data exchange between government departments.

Through multi-stakeholder cooperation, the Toucian River, originating from the Xueshan Mountains and flowing through Hsinchu County and City, will have a comprehensive and open convergence point, basic hydrological data, GIS, and more. It serves as a potential case study for future inter-agency collaboration.
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#### C. Challenges

a. When encountering an indifferent government department with less will to cooperate, which subsequently affects the effectiveness of public-private collaboration and the project execution, the following suggestions are made:

- Understand that public servants often have limited resources, time, and space to comprehend and execute the project. Try to see things from their perspective and assist in advocating for cooperation, fostering a better understanding.
- Connect with individuals within the department or office to gather more information.
- Identify trusted contacts within the government, such as NGOs/NPOs or experts who have collaboration experiences, to discuss ideas or even have them propose initiatives.
- It's not recommended to involve high-ranking officials or legislators in coordination, as it may lead to resentment within the department due to the unexpected workload and pressure.

b. Challenges arise in communicating with government personnel due to limited training and specialization:
Due to restrictions in the training of public servants, some are skilled at thinking and communicating within specific contexts but lack diverse management and communication experiences. Additionally, many job categories may not adequately address the changing demands of modern society, such as design-related roles beyond visual design.

c. The ever-changing work models do not align with government bureaucracy:
Public-private collaboration requires flexible work models that accommodate each other's working styles. When facing urgent situations, like the COVID-19 vaccination effort in Tainan, public servants may need to investigate and assist at vaccination sites in the morning and collaborate with engineers in the evening. How to mitigate the problem of overload and adapt related policies to the changing environment is worth exploring.

d. The private sector often needs to adapt to rapidly changing policies:
Trust in relationships is crucial, but abrupt policy changes necessitate frequent adjustments in implementation, increasing pressure and workload on contracting entities. This can lead to unhealthy practices in supplier-client relationships.

e. Meeting the real-time demands of public-private collaboration is challenging within public procurement processes:
Urgent collaboration needs may not align with public procurement procedures. Starting cooperation and then resorting to emergency procurement processes may result in the project being awarded to other parties, leaving the initiating unit with no reward. Maintaining a database of strong partnerships and relationships with private entities can allow for more diversified collaboration.

f. Convincing superiors about the importance of infrastructure to reduce relatively unimportant demands:
Encourage open discussions and maintain accessible meeting minutes for reference. Repeating and constant communication can help establish essential knowledge among superiors.

g. Dealing with data confusion and difficulty in organizing information:
Structured data collection is essential before data processing. Public servants need to develop data-driven thinking and project management skills and consider the possibility of making data usable for other systems.