Digital transformation in local government involves more than technology. It also raises important questions about institutional capacity, data strategy, ways of working and what municipalities need to sustain digital infrastructure over time.
Join us for a panel discussion exploring these questions through the real-world experiences of the Urban Resilience Programme. Supported by the UK FCDO, initiated with foundational data strategy from the Open Data Institute (ODI), and implemented alongside Open Cities Lab (OCL), this session goes far beyond the typical success story.
What We’ll Explore:
- Behind the City Stories: What local officials set out to achieve, the practical hurdles they faced, and what has actually changed in daily practice.
- What worked - and what didn’t: The approaches that gained traction, what is still being embedded and where challenges remain.
- Connecting Local to National: How municipal-level lessons tie into broader conversations around Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), interoperability, and institutional readiness.
- Sustained Ownership: How to create the organizational conditions that allow digital infrastructure to thrive long after a programme ends.
Why attend? If you are a city official, policymaker, or practitioner looking for honest insights working with data and digital transformation, this webinar offers practical and candid insights into what it really takes to build data-capable local government.
Speakers
Norma Grobler, Manager: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) , Ugu District Municipality
Dr. Sandile Mbatha, Founder & Chief Solutions Officer, National Strategic Hub
Bongumusa Zondo, Director: Strategy & Integrated Development Planning at eThekwini
Joanne Parker, Chief Executive Officer of Open Cities Lab
Neliswe Sithole, Manager for Town Planning at Ray Nkonyeni Municipality
Shabari Shaily-Gerber, Lead Adviser, Infrastructure and Urban Development, FCDO, South Africa
Chair: Dr Kay Achenbach, Senior Learning Specialist and Data Ethics Consultant at the Open Data Institute
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