Civic Tech Innovation
Civic tech is the effective use of appropriate digital technologies and methodologies in connecting government and citizens, in public participation, transparency and accountability and in delivering public services. This course will provide you with skills to develop an applied understanding of how to use technological platforms to enhance the interface between government and citizens in the delivery of services.
Upon successful completion of the course, you should be able to:
- Explain, discuss and assess the evolution and opportunities for civic tech in the context of politics, governance and social activism
- Identify and define appropriate social problems in terms that invite digital innovation solutioning
- Compile, process and analyse basic data
- Use appropriate and contextually relevant innovative strategies and tools to develop solutions to social challenges
- Take an institutional view on civic tech platforms and organisations that can be established and sustained in terms of management, governance and government
Status of certificate
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As per the Council for Higher Education (CHE), a short course that does not carry credit towards a qualification on the HEQSF cannot be assigned and allocated NQF levels & credits.
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Short courses are short learning programmes offered by higher education institutions outside their formal structured undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and they, therefore, do not lead to qualifications on the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF). They serve a range of social and educational purposes, including improving or refreshing participants’ knowledge and skills in a particular field, improving participants’ readiness for specific formal higher education programmes, continuing professional development, learning to use technology, personal fulfilment, social development and good citizenship, to mention a few. (https://www.che.ac.za/sites/default/files/publications/CHE%20Good%20Practice%20Guide%20September%202016%20PDF.pdf)
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You will receive a Certificate of Competence on successful completion of this course.
Module 1: INTRODUCTION TO CIVIC PARTICIPATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
• Key concepts and developments related to civic tech
• Domains for civic tech action
Module 2: PROBLEM DEFINITION
• Framing of a civic problem in the digital age
Module 3: CONCEPTUALISING SOLUTIONS
• Analytical, political and technical skills required to use data and information/communication technologies (ICTs) that support social innovation/problem solving
• User-centric design methods and principles
• Data use tools and techniques
• Challenges of working with digital and open-source content
Module 4: SOLUTION APPLICATION
• Application of concepts and tools
Module 5: INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
• Implementation of civic tech innovations in institutional contexts and forms
Assessment methods:
- Formative Assessment = 50%
- Summative Assessment = 50%
- An NQF 6 with 3-5 years work experience or
- Grade 12 with 5-10 years of work experience
This course will start on 15 July until 19 July 2024.