Sri Lanka’s ICTA sets the stage for a seamless National Data Exchange

Sri Lanka’s Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) is in the early days of planning the execution of the National Data Exchange, a top official said.

“We hope to have a pilot or a sandbox ready in the next few months for the National Data Exchange (NDX). Also, a few pilot applications will come this year,” Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, chief advisor to the President on Digital Economy and chairman of the ICTA, said. The National Data Exchange is one of the major components of the digital public infrastructure, he added, and it will enable seamless sharing of data among government agencies, departments, and stakeholders to improve collaboration and decision-making.

In the long run, the NDX will make public service delivery more effective by providing timely access to relevant data. The National Data Exchange will also help utilize such data to make development decisions and will foster innovation, allowing data-driven initiatives by providing access to datasets and forging collaborations among different groups, including the public sector, the private sector, research groups and entrepreneurs.

To develop a blueprint for a robust NDX in Sri Lanka, the ICTA in partnership with Citra Lab, started engaging with partners including the United Nations Development Program’s Chief Digital Office (CDO). Citra Lab is Sri Lanka’s first Social Innovation Lab, put into operation as a joint initiative between the Prime Minister’s Office and the  UNDP.

The Safe DPI initiative of the UNDP CDO provides a universal framework to make digital public infrastructure safe, credible and equal. Under this initiative, the CDO develops country-specific platforms with appropriate governance systems that align with and complement the existing data governance arrangement of a specific country. Sri Lanka’s NDX will draw from such models, which will help create a country-specific system.

With focused effort from all stakeholders, Sri Lanka has the potential to leap into a new era of economic growth and global competitiveness, Dr. Wijayasuriya explained. “It is important to be clear about where and what you use horizontal platforms for. For example, the IT platform for the data exchange has to be horizontal. Horizontal platforming is a key driver of the current movement in digitalization and optimising resources.”

Article Topics

Citra Lab  |  data exchange platform  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  digital public infrastructure  |  safeDPI  |  Sri Lanka  |  Sri Lanka National Data Exchange (NDX)  |  UNDP