About the Project

Data Maturity Assessment

About the Project

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The Shaping the Future of Philippine Cities: A Data Maturity Assessment of Localities for Smarter Initiatives is a research initiative of the Development Academy of the Philippines - through its Center for Strategic Futures (CSF). It aims to evaluate the end-to-end approach and capacity of Philippine cities in their data collection, processing, analysis, and sharing, which shall help key government agencies identify policy interventions and develop data solutions that fit their needs.

OBJECTIVES:

The intelligent use of data is crucial in maximizing the potential of technological interventions and strengthening innovation ecosystems in cities. The DMA aims to systematically assess the current data ecosystem of all cities in the Philippines, whose results shall serve as important reference tokey government agencies seeking to create policy interventions and data solutions that significantly impact local development. Specifically, this study seeks to:

1. Determine the capacity of cities to gather, store, manage, extract knowledge, and gain insights from their data for informed decision-making and driving better results for their citizens;
2. Examine if the people, policy and guidelines, and infrastructure requirements for improved collection, dissemination, and use of data are in place;
3. dentify barriers to data usage that prevent multi-stakeholder engagement in data processes; and
4. Evaluate the readiness of cities in terms of their initiatives to implement their data strategies.

SCOPE:

The scope of the DMA research includes all 146 cities of the Philippines, which are classified as follows:

• 33 Highly Urbanized Cities (HUC)
• 5 Independent Component Cities
• 108 Component Cities

The DMA Framework:

Figure 1: The Data Maturity Assessment Framework

The state of the data ecosystem of city governments, referred to as local government units (LGUs) in this study, determines their level of data maturity. In the study, this data ecosystem is assessed based on the linkage of two categories: (a) core enablers and (b) data value chain, which are described as follows:

• Core Enablers: This category concerns the initiatives of the city government on advancing their people, policy, and technology; and
• Data Value Chain: This category concerns the best practices and techniques employed by the city governments in their data collection, use, processing, analysis, and sharing.

The data maturity framework is primarily focused on the interplay between the key core enablers and the elements of the data value chain that form the data ecosystem. The assessment of the said linkage shall be the basis in determining the level of data maturity of each of the city governments.

The characteristics of the five (5) maturity levels are briefly summarized below:

• Level 1: Data Aware - This level indicates that the LGU is aware of their needs to improve their data processes (e.g., data handling procedures and standards), especially in using and managing their data, and recognizes the need to identify and analyze the areas in which they lack as a strategy to refine their data processes.
• Level 2: Data Capable - This level indicates that the data requirements of the LGU for task completion are available, albeit the data processes are reactive. Specifically, LGUs at this level of data maturity are characterized by their informal data processes wherein data management procedures are only undertaken when the need arises.
• Level 3: Data Proficient - This level indicates that the data management processes of the LGU are standardized and proactive. LGUs at this level of data maturity have formalized their data governance and follow a systematic procedure resulting in delivering quality data outputs necessary in addressing projected needs and requirements.
• Level 4: Data Driven - This level indicates that decisions made by the LGU are primarily compelled by insights from their data, which are results of practicing standard management processes. LGUs at this level of data maturity recognize the importance and adopted the approach of evidence-based decision-making in developing impactful citizen-centric policies and programs.
• Level 5: Data Pioneer - This level indicates that the LGU recognizes the power of data literacy in creating opportunities for solutions and stimulating innovation. LGUs in this level have established best practices in using data for benefitting all sectors of their community and catalyzing an innovation ecosystem that allows stakeholders to engage in developing innovative solutions in response to their city’s complex urban development challenges.

These classification levels indicate an LGU’s current capacity and their readiness for implementing data initiatives and strategies. To add integrity, the result of the DMA taken by the LGUs will be cross-validated by key stakeholders in their locality, which includes the private sector, civil society organizations, and academe, through a feedback assessment. The key findings of this DMA will form part of the initial and final assessment report that the DAP, through its CSF, will distribute to policymakers and key government agencies.

As of September 2022, the Project Team is already piloting the web application tool it developed to effectively survey all 146 cities of the Philippines. This tool is set to be rolled out in early 2023.

PRIVACY NOTICE/STATEMENT

By taking the DMA, you consent the Research Team to collect, stoire, and process any submitted LGU information. Rest assured that the data collected will be kept with the strictest confidentiality. for more details on our privacy statement, kindly go to the link: https://dma.dap.edu.ph/privacy