Using Nepal's municipal websites as a proxy for transparency: strengthening local government accountability data-driven efforts
Estimated reading time: 1 minutes
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Goal
Create a non‑profit that automates collection of local‑government data in Nepal, measures its availability and quality, and publishes performance reports.
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Problem
- Data required by law is often inaccessible (images, non‑standard formats).
- Updates are delayed or missing.
- “Freedom of Information” requests are ignored.
Result: Citizens lack reliable information for participation and oversight.
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Solution
- Build an automated platform that scrapes or pulls data from municipal websites.
- Define metrics for availability, timeliness, standard format, and FOI responsiveness.
- Publish regular reports ranking municipalities.
- Reward high performers; offer support to low performers.
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Methodology
- Phase 1 (Pilot): Test on a few municipalities and data sets.
- Phase 2 (Scale): Expand coverage to all municipalities and more data categories.
- Use existing APIs where possible; partner with government bodies, NGOs, and media for reach and expertise.
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Impact
- Citizens gain timely, trustworthy data.
- Municipalities face accountability, prompting better service delivery.
- Trust and engagement in local governance increase.
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Sustainability
- Funding from international grants, crowdfunding, private partnerships, and fees for capacity‑building workshops.
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Implementation Plan
- Engage stakeholders and assess needs.
- Build the data‑collection platform.
- Define and weight accountability metrics.
- Pilot, refine, and gather feedback.
- Launch publicly and provide capacity building.
- Publish reports, recognize best performers, and partner with media.
- Secure ongoing funding, add data categories, and expand nationwide.