IGF 2025 - Day 3 - Workshop Room 2 - WS #302 Upgrading Digital Governance at the local level

>> DENIZ SUSAR: Good morning everyone. Welcome to the workshop Upgrading Digital Governance at the Local Level, workshop 302.

We have 60 minutes in front of us. I will moderate this session. My name is Deniz Susar from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

I just want to give you a brief background what this workshop is about. United, our department, we look at how governments are using technology to United Nations e‑government. Survey, we look at 193 UN member states and try to measure their online progress.

This e‑government survey has been continuing since 2003, and since 2018, we also start looking at how the local level specifically cities are using online services in partnership with United Nations University e‑gov section based in Portugal and more. We started with four cities 2018. Most popular cities in 40 countries. Expanded to 193 cities.

Getting feedback from stakeholders, feedback was basically one city per country is not enough. Can we do more? And together with UNU, we developed methodology so that our application in one city can be spread to several cities in a single country.

So this partnership is open to anyone. We've done some application in various countries. For example, Brazil, India, South Crete, few of the names that come to mind, and being today, of course, today, Tunisia recently applied methodologies in Tunisian e‑government society.

We will hear more from them. I will ask colleagues so they can put in the chat the link to where you can find, where you can learn more about this project. Again, we can partner as UN does with any government or nongovernment entity.

We have memorandum of understanding we signed jointly after cleared by legal departments, then the partnership starts. After that, we share the methodology, give you access to the platform, to the entity who is running the project. In this case, Tunisia E‑government Society. Then in our methodology at the national and local level, the portal of city or the country needs to be assessed by two people who do not know each other, so at the global level, we recreate two people in each country which is around 400 people. They assess portals, and if any discrepancies, then we bring them together and you finalize the data.

The same happens at the city level. So again, I'll give example of the Tunesia Government Society. Number of cities in Tunisia and two people each sit and these people do the assessment. Results come to that entity and then they produce outcome document and we do outreach like this.

It's important, of course, to inform city officials about their performance, but also to share this experience with other countries, so that they can learn from each other.

This is very brief introduction to the project and to the objective of this workshop. So we want to expand further in several countries. Our goal right now happening in UK together with our partner UK ministry of IT, and they are working together with a university. So we have two partnerships there.

I will stop here and give the floor to Morton to explain further, and then we will hear from the rest of online speakers.

>> MORTON: This is a partnership not just between UNU, local actors in the number of countries, UGES. Tunesia presenting their results later during the session.

Put it into context why local government is important. Increasingly globally strategic approaches to service delivery. Service delivery in some countries mainly the mandate of central government. We see this particularly in smaller or low income emerging economies. See in that federal countries like the case of Brazil, but also in India, that local service deliveries taking place more on a state level so the regional level or local government level.

So for instance, in the context in Norway, other Nordic countries, local authorities municipalities are responsible for some 80% of all service delivery to citizens and businesses.

Only 20% is central government. Tunisia country decentralize process in place and its also latest report out there. Tunesia network applications of framework granulates assessments from Deniz and his colleagues do every two years. Largest city in each country allows us for instance in India to say, well, we know that every two years, Mumbai is assessed, and that is benchmarked with 192 other large cities globally.

If we then do a loose framework application within that country looking at other cities have amplifier, not only compare the proper strength and weaknesses on local government, progress service delivery line in the national context, but we can triangulate that with cities globally from the UNDEAS biannual assessment from other laws and network applications.

Naturally, local context matters. Priorities differ in different countries. Seen partners in Crete and Brazil looked at smart‑city‑related indicators. So complemented core set of indicators to be assessed from the LOSI framework with a set of smart kind related to mobility, waste, LOSI AI and so forth, to really complement that into the local context and local national priorities where the LOSI framework is coming from. 

Nine reports already published, roughly three countries a year, five ongoing. So the Tunisians are considering doing a second round. Mozambique, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, India, create second round. Done the application of the framework once, but doing it again after a few years to see what progress within this larger sample of national context in which framework was developed and how it's used, and also a little bit of background on how it is working before we hand over to colleagues.

That's all for me.  

>> DENIZ SUSAR: Thank you so much Morton. So now let's turn online to our colleague Dimitris Sarantis online from UNU. This is a joint project between you UNU‑EGOV and UN DESA. Appreciate the collaboration. 

>> DIMITRIS SARANTIS: Good morning. Larger methodology and brief talk from Morton regarding the use of local assessment and importance of it. Country needs, I would say, some insights regarding large application from our team until now.

It's a pleasure to be here even through video. It's a pleasure.

Some perspective. Local index and potential in advancing digital governance municipal level. As I said, also from more than Deniz, logic plays critical role supporting achievement. Digital goals making inclusive, safe, bring resilient and sustainable.

2024 UN government survey, over 65% of SDG for targeting fall under the jurisdiction of local authorities. Make local digital governance not only irrelevant, also essential. City portals are becoming digital frontiers of municipalities' residents access to vital services from waste management public transportation port to social protection and participatory budgeting, help city assess and improve service using last edition, 95 indicators across six categories since pilot.

2018 logic has evolved singly. 2024 addition now includes all 193 United Nations members, states, most popular cities. It goes further by introducing e‑government literacy in the last edition. New category, recognizing that digital inclusion requires not just access, but also skills to engage from realtime communication tools to free wifi access point and multilingual platforms, cities are making progress but challenges remain around funding and digital divide.

One of the findings from the 2024 survey is that national portals still tend to outperform local ones, cities with strong collaboration with national and municipal governments, as well as those with clear institutional framework score higher.

This indicates that vertical alignment and governance models are crucial for digital success. So LOSI, we can say that it is not an just an assessment tool. We can consider it as a framework for collaboration.

Recent years, we have expanded obligation beyond the most popular cities. So thanks to partnerships coordinated by UN DES goal, countries like Tunisia, we will hear afterwards with Pakistan, Crete, Greece, India, Brazil, have implemented LOSI at subnational levels.

This decentralized digital diagnostics, allows for more targeted interventions and setting and I hope to see more countries join with the LOSI network to strengthen the local digital capacities.

Closing, and before giving the floor to Tunisian partners, I would say that LOSI is a powerful vehicle for cities to not only advance progress, but also to learn from the other with a growing pressure on cities to deliver include service critical to make participatory to central government. Look forward to today's production support for cities digital.

Before giving the floor, I would invite all participants with physical presence or online presence to submit the questions and comments orally or written to start to have a discussion after the presentation from commission partners. Thank you. The floor is yours.

>> DENIZ SUSAR: Thank you. I think, yeah, we clearly explain what this is about. I hope it's clear to everyone as well. Think it's time to see really action.

Floor is yours and your colleagues. If you can show us what this is about and what you get in Tunisia.

>> SABRINE DACHRAOUI: Thank you. I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to our partners at the UN DES and UNU‑EGOV unit making this session possible, the IGF secretary as well for believing in session topic as well as audience for joining us today.

Talking to Tunisia before we begin the presentation, allow me to introduce myself and my colleague. My name is Sabrine Dachraoui, project coordinator, here with my colleague to share the latest updates and grades implemented at the local level.

Before this session, we will focus mainly on two parts which represents the two most critical phases of the project.

At the next slide, you will find a key message of our session. I don't know if the audience can see on the screen.

>> SALSABIL YAKOUBI: Yes, we see.

>> SABRINE DACHRAOUI: Seeing the screen moving to next slide.

>> SALSABIL YAKOUBI: Still at first one.

>> SABRINE DACHRAOUI: Okay.

>> SALSABIL YAKOUBI: Yes, now we see.

>> SABRINE DACHRAOUI: Now we can see. Okay, if we can go back just quickly to key messages before I leave the floor to you to present the rest of the presentation. 

>> SABRINE DACHRAOUI: Good.

>> SALSABIL YAKOUBI: Official partnership with the United Nations slide.

>> SABRINE DACHRAOUI: First box. Move to the first part.

>> SALSABIL YAKOUBI: Maybe you can continue explaining while the slide is coming on.

>> SABRINE DACHRAOUI: No problem. Share from my slide. I'll share from my slide so I don't know if the audience can see the screen moving.

>> SALSABIL YAKOUBI: Yes. We see now the first, now we see the key messages. Please continue.

>> SABRINE DACHRAOUI: Okay. In this presentation, maybe focusing on two places of the LOSI project or LOSI implementation, Tunesia addressing MDG municipal government portals using LOSI framework.

Second phase, improving municipal website using LOSI‑based approach. So for the LOSI application in Tunisia and before I go ahead and introduce, I will like to give quick introduction about our society.

Our name is Tunisian E‑governance Society, nongovernmental organization. Practicing for 10 years now. These are some of our vision, our mission, and our goals. So we focus on transparent, intelligent, and participatory government model. Smart government, develop innovative policies and we focus on using technology focus, open data, and smart governance are also involved. Other initiative, not just initiatives, not just a LOSI assessment or engage in LOSI project, also have other initiatives.

Civil society with academia and with other entities, we have here Open Geode Hackathon. Diverse summit. Our participation in the open government week. We presented our evaluation for ministry portals as well.

So we also have three recent publications,international publications to our record. In March last year, we signed memoranda of understanding from our partners at the UN DES just to highlight our collaboration on the LOSI methodology, its obligation in Tunisia.

Of course, we've been, have achieved significant milestone implementing project in Tunisia. Timeline for our achievements stated as govern last year inventory South Africa. Also published our report which you can find in the official website of the UN DES.

Participation last year in the geography through open forum with our partners as well as UN DES and UNU recorded webinar, presented our findings about the LOSI application Tunisia.

Quick overview about, let's say, our team structure. We have the project manager, review experts who are taking care of review phase and we have our assessors.

This is just to give you a quick overview about the expertise we have in the team. I believe our friends will present to you first phase and second phases of our LOSI project.

>> DENIZ SUSAR: If you finish around 15 minutes, give some time for questions.

>> SABRINE DACHRAOUI: Thank you. We're going to start presenting our phase one, which was basically evaluating the school website using LOSI framework.

So here we have the time line for our LOSI project, detailing key phases throughout 2024 phases where we began the project and signing the UN in March and this was followed by scope, definition, and comprehensive team training in April and May, data collection July, assessment reviews conducted in August, crucial phase of result in analysis and report developments, and from August to September, culminating in the presentation of our finding in November, and this structured approach ensured like thorough a systematic application of the LOSI framework.

Group primary goal, portal material created by assessment process, final list of municipal portals to assess, then teams are assigned and pairs to municipalities.

Preassessment phases involves two key steps. Reviewing e‑local toolkit of government to understandings of ranges indicators and criteria. And secondly, thoroughly understand questionnaire and the LOSI indicators, explain and instruction column. Finally, assessment involves filling out LOSI questionnaire by scoring each evaluated indicator in the municipal government portal with a simple yes or no. 

So here, we're going to try to just give you a quick demonstration of how that would work. So we just picked three indicators for which belonged to content provision category, and starting off with like just show you brief overview how the assessment goes.

And for example, for number 222, MGP present list of service provided by the municipality. Pulled up municipal portal in Tunisia and go to services, civil service status, and we will find different kind of services they have and more information about that so that it satisfies that criterion.

Then for example, information about municipality history, demographics, graphical region, economy, tourism, et cetera, find that if we go to city of such definition city to find the information. So that indicator is satisfied as you can see here.

Then last criteria, last indicator that we wanted to show available of the portal different languages. So for example, here we can switch from English to French, and basically, we reiterate that process with all the 95 indicators in all six categories. And at the end, calibrate the score. If it exists, 0. Doesn't ‑‑ sorry, exists. Doesn't exist at 0. Exists, it's one. Then score divide by the total number of indicators, which is 95. Just very brief overview how the assessment process works.

Going back to our presentation here, we reiterate the similar like basically talking about. 2024 version introduces significant new criterion. E‑government literacy or ELI mentioned. Cross all distinct criteria include institutional framework with six indicators. Technology with 12, content provision with 30 service provision with 22, parts to patience engagement with 15, and new e‑literacy with 10 indicators. Scoring method is again binary indicater is used. Value of one exists in municipal portal and 0 if it's missing.

All scores for each city are then divided by the total number of indicators. 95 to produce the scores are 0 to 1. Lower scores are then used to identify digital maturity level of each municipal categorized very high for between 75 and 1. High between 025 to 074, middle between 025 to 049 and low for 0 to 024. Structured approach allows for clear and quantifiable assessment for digital maturity.

So this slide details geographical and demographic scope of our assessment. So our study actually covers all 24 governments of Tunesia, 24 municipalities. Tunisia broad coverage allows for comprehensive understanding e‑governance across country local level. And this slide presented overall LOSI results of the evaluated municipality. Observe that 37 of the municipalities.

>> DENIZ SUSAR: Can you go full screen to see the whole slide, your screen? Is it possible? 

>> DIMITRIS SARANTIS: We're just speaker mode now.

>> DENIZ SUSAR: It's better.

>> SALSABIL YAKOUBI: Go back to the talking about the Tunisian results and so these are the overall results. And as mentioned, 37% them is specifically nine out of 24 between and middle group. Conversely, larger portion or 63% of 15 municipalities, 15 municipalities fall into the low group. This indicates significant opportunity for improvement in digital maturity across many of Tunisia municipalities and so we have chart visually represents distribution from LOSI index from 0 to 100% categories low, middle, high, very high. Most of Tunesia municipalities low and middle ranges.

So this slide provides more granular view of LOSI scores highlighting top three municipalities for each for service provision content provision, and lastly, tech. And these results indicate varying streams across different aspects of e‑governance among municipalities.

This is basically continuation of our analysis of the LOSI scores for criterion for literacy. Outstanding performance from these municipalities all achieving perfect 100% actually comes to e‑literacy. Highlights strong visual literacy initiatives in those areas participation and engagement, additional framework criterion top performance and these detailed breaks down top performers help us pinpoint specific areas for improvement within each municipality guiding target intervention for improvement.

As for our recommendation, based on our findings, found several to improve the e‑governance in the Tunisian municipalities.

Firstly, to advance digital services, we recommend establishing responsive communication channels through advanced technologies and leveraging citizens in service digitalization.

And secondly, to improve contact provision, municipalities should develop user‑friendly interface, provide thorough statistical data, update governmental portals, user statistics, and other multi‑lingual content.

Thirdly, framework of instructions involving strengthening open data policies to promote transparency and addressing gaps in privacy regulations, right to access government information, obviously building trust and accountability with citizens, enhance technology features, advance search features, easier contact navigation, improving users ask questions and get numbers, engage municipalities to higher maturity, second phase more theory to action. Aim to improve municipal websites using LOSI‑based approach.

So we now transition to the second phase using, this is initiated in March 2025, which builds upon the insights that came from our initial valuation and focusing on implementing targeted improvements to enhance digital maturity of municipal online service.

Online service begin to translate into tangible actions and our current project is actually focused on improving municipal websites. And the goal of the initiative is multi‑faceted to leverage research from the first phase, increase partnership between local government and civil society and improve municipal parcel accessibility for user experience, and promoting digital inclusion at the local level.

Outputs will include training municipal members how to conduct own website evaluation and producing highlighting improved scores, project timeline, which began in March with scope definition and team structure, followed by finding a quick fix in April. And then preimplementation phase in May with implementation phase taken place in June and limitations lessons learned. Recommendation and final report publication will soon follow.

This initiative involves checking portal before and after of updates, identifying problems in access, speed, and ease of use, improving structure, and ultimately making it easier for people to use. And this collaborative effort with Tunisian municipalities very, very crucial fora enhancing digital governance.

So for our scope definition, which is a crucial step for this second phase of our project, we clearly define scope, which ensures that our efforts are targeted and effective in promoting municipal websites based on LOSI framework.

This involves identifying specific aspects of website to be addressed in expected outcomes defining scope for improving municipal websites, established clear criteria directing municipals we want to be working with.

With this criteria, include geographical low internet governance in LOSI core and responsiveness to collaboration. For selecting results, priorities given to municipalities with low LOSI score is specifically ranging from 0 to 24% indicating greatest need for improvement, and we also have location‑based meeting method with onsite meetings for municipalities outside of the region and online meetings for those within. Like more for the end, communications facilitated through, phone call emails, systematic approach ensures focus on efforts on where they are most needed and we did have greatest impact.

So actually, for the next step, crucial improvements strategy involves item defined and prioritizing any impactful changes that can be implemented to enhance the municipal website. Quirky fixes addressed to finish phase. Quick fixes framework classifies indicators are into three category here on the screen based on their complexity and aiming to improve the municipalities score.

It's important to clarify that the classification is based on general complexity of the capacity of the task national perspective not currently available for practice at the national level, and we have three categories, as I previously mentioned, which are easy adjustments, moderate adjustments, and hard adjustments framework allows us to prioritize and implement changes effectively starting with the adjustments and most impactful adjustments.

>> DENIZ SUSAR: Conclude in 2 minutes.

>> SALSABIL YAKOUBI: Sure. Preimplementation phase, we undertook several key steps to initiate collaboration with stockholders, conducting mapping outreach, identifying key municipalities.

Secondly, perform profiling checking, conceptual data drafted standardized partnership framework and aligned our shared goals, engaging municipalities findings, and improvement priorities, formalized collaboration, launching pilot implementation discussion, which we'll go over now.

So actually, our chosen pilot is a city that has a LOSI score of 30.52 placing in middle category which is moderate for maturity. Room for significant improvement and as you can see here on the screen, this is how they score for their LOSI for each category on their LOSI scores. 

And here, this is a breakdown of all the missing indicators in this service provision and categorize identification based on the quick fixes framework content provision. See a lot of easy adjustments, and for institutional framework with only one missing for engagement and participation, e‑government literacy technology.

And so here, we have basically our approach to implementing quick fixes based on batches. And starting with small group of 8, this allows to validate facility of implementation insuring and promote changes our practical achievement, and demonstrating improvements as possible with minimal time, cost, and technical requirements building trust step‑by‑step with municipalities.

We chose this method to enable impact and keep the collaboration manageable with municipalities maintaining communication and, of course, since our work protecting voluntary resources limited capacity.

As a quick example, these are the suggested batch for the first batch. These are the suggestions based for service provision and for content provision, branches, institutional framework.

See actual suggestion that we made at municipalities reflect on municipal websites after the first batch. Score jumped from 30 to 39%, still placing it in the middle of the category, but still, we have the proof of concept this does work.

This is the score we anticipate implementing efficiencies categorized for the municipal. Could jump above 50%, place municipality portal in the high category challenge. We encountered several from the lack of formal engagement channels. Often unclear who to contact.

From the initial contact, trust building, we had to introduce LOSI framework from its inception and whole build credibility. Of course, we have limited resources on both sides, but we did tackle that strategic outreach as we used all our network.

We also prepared documentation such as partnership document and one‑pagers outlining goals, roles, and expectations and, of course, with consistent follow‑up meeting, regular friendly communication to keep them engaged. So we keep them engaged, recommend using existing networks and providing clear materials, and most importantly, maintaining ongoing communication with local partners have to balance participation with realism. Easy fixes first. Doing it in batches.

So the way forward, as we look at it, we do see looking ahead proposing several strategies to advance e‑governance in Tunisia advocating civil society organizations to collaborate closely, to municipalities assist in collections, publication of central data and fostering BPP for crucial e‑service explanation, encouraging co‑developments to central online service and, of course, we believe in collaboration with other countries interested in applying LOSI methodology, provide valuable insight and exchanges about the best LOSI application, emphasize importance of collaboration with the private sector for technological upgrade. Partnership can provide expertise and infrastructure development needed.

And thank you everyone for your attention. We hope that the presentation provided valuable insights into the application of LOSI in Tunisia and efforts to enhance digital municipal governance at local level and we're open to questions and further discussions.

>> DENIZ SUSAR: Thank you. Thank you so much. I think this was very helpful. Congratulations for your efforts in this project, not only applying, but giving guidance to the officials. Very much appreciated.

A little bit time of now for questions. I'm just following the script given to me. Before, I also mentioned that we are applying LOSI in UK right now. I want to just say two minutes about that. Appreciate it. Then we can get questions for everyone.

>> EREN K TABURUN: Audio coming through.

Thank you to everyone that helped organize IGF as well as my colleagues from UN DES. I work alongside Deniz in New York. I'm sure you guys don't envy being in Oslo when New York is about 40 degrees Celsius past three days, so enjoy the weather in Oslo as well as other amazing sessions in IGF.

Meantime, as Deniz mentioned, I work on the UK application of LOSI methodology and I think overarching theme that you touched upon, really want to highlight brief input working together is more important than ever in this digital world especially when it comes to improving government services. And as far as I can tell so far, it's still in progress.

UK does seem to be alongside Tunisia leading in this area. Allocation of this LOSI methodology in UK really shows how innovative partnerships can improve everyday experiences, local government, and in many cases, leveraging university students' collaboration of national as well as local municipalities.

I think LOSI and UN provide bridge to be able to turn this in a conduit to improve people's everyday lives through, like I said, digital service providers with local government.

What I like about LOSI focus on the practical cooperation, measures how effective local government websites are and encouraging groups, parties, involved to share their ideas and strategies, and teamwork that is integrated within the methodology itself results in online services that are easier to use, more transparent, and truly more reflective of people as needs on the ground.

Main point here is simple. We work together and collaborate cross‑functionally, just like with LOSI, stronger, more accessible service. And UK, just like with Tunesia, provides further example of how entities can work together to deliver results because that is how we'll continue to deliver real improvements for our communities everywhere.

>> DENIZ SUSAR: Thank you. Thank you so much. Can you ask how many cities in UK, just quickly. We cannot hear you. You're muted.

>> EREN K TABURUN: I was asking how many cities did you apply in UK.

>> DENEZ SUSAR: We will go back for any questions online or anyone here from the audience, please. I don't see any questions.

>> DIMITRIS SARANTIS: I don't see any questions at the moment. I will invite once more participants to submit the questions in the chat. Have some time to respond to comments or questions.

I would like to make just a small comment on the presentation of Salsabil Yakoubi. I would say that this is a very good example, very good case, of using LOSI methodology improvement for framework for local government because I knew that they have done very good work in assessing municipalities in Tunisia.

Not aware, for the next step, they went to Tunisia. See now partner went to step forward so using results from LOSI applications to really not only improve local government, but also to assess methodological steps to do that. Really surprised categorization of improvements steps in clusters is least medium and more difficult to be implemented. Very interesting because gives this easy win‑win and opportunity to local governments to design quickly and successfully improvements in the local e‑government website. 

Also, this interaction that Tunisian partner government society has with local government authorities to apply the results of LOSI application in government very interesting.

So these are some comments that I have to do on the presentation and I will pass the floor to Sabrine.

>> DENIZ SUSAR: Get one more question from here from the audience, and then we'll get back to you. Thank you. Please. Gentleman here.

>> STEVEN McTALL:  Thank you. My name is Steven McTall from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. My question is about the term "local government." What is the scope of size because city like Oslo could be called local government, or city with 2 or 300,000 people might be called local government. Very different sets of resources and size of citizens than the population you're dealing with.

>> DENIZ SUSAR: I think I'll answer that one. So when we started this project, in order to cover as many people as possible, we started with the most populous city in each UN member state, so it is not the capital usually. People confused with that. But for example, New York City in US, but we know US has 50 states. Very challenging to define.

But when Tunisian colleagues apply the methodology, Tunisia, they choose each region. When we did in Brazil application in Brazil, I think 50 states, they chose largest city in each state plus capital city, so there is some flexibility there to extend. The name doesn't really reflect application, so we are focusing on more opposites.

May be complex that LOSI methodology colleagues like Dimitris go and advise how to apply methodology. Specific country, we often suggest sort of having a balanced approach. So when we talk about local government in the UK, call it council, Denmark we call it municipalities, the other countries have different names for that. But to try and find either group of similar cases so you can compare, like as we say in academia, or try to get a representative sample because in most cases, we can't unfortunately assess every single local authority in that country.

You also see that in some cases, this city may not represent the whole metropole. Copenhagen City of some almost 2 million people metropole, but municipal itself, Copenhagen is 700,000 people, Copenhagen, but the average size of the municipality in Denmark is about 55,000. So again, something we advise on, but it depends on the partner in terms of their resources and their strategic focus, but it's then captured in the report what the case selection was and what the process forms are.

>> DENIZ SUSAR: Thank you very much.

>> DIMITRIS SARANTIS: Thank you for the question. Back online, you had a question, or Sabrine, you wanted to say something?

>> SABRINE DACHRAOUI: I don't know if we actually have the questions, but thank you Steven for the intervention. That was actually a very interesting question. 

Our partners actually addressed the question very well. With that said, I would like to emphasize some point before we leave the floor for Deniz and Morton closing remarks, but apparently running out of time.

The main reason why we are here today at the IGF doing this session is because we believe in the potential of joining forces. That said, our workshop is under the subtheme of digital cooperation as it's communicated and it refers to the collaborative efforts between governments, private sector, civil society, international organizations, all parties moving together to address global digital challenges.

Some of the policy, let's say, questions that we wrote in the descriptions, go through them very briefly, as I said, role of civil society and private sector. One of the significant takeaways from the Tunisian case study is the indispensable or important role of civil society. So take us, as example, Tunesia, government society LOSI assessment highlights civil society organization, deep understanding of local communities can serve as crucial bridges between citizens and governments, independently collect data, assess services, provide valuable feedback. They can help governments identify gaps in areas of improvements to support governmental efforts. That's a powerful model for advancing digital local governance especially when governmental resources are limited.

Next is role of international organizations and best practices scope for our people who would like to collaborate with us. Like to say international organizations like UN DES and UNU‑EGOV play a vital role. Provisions methodology, guidance, and support offers framework standards for global perspective best practices.

Important to note is that I know change can be challenging. At some point, we want changes fast in local government especially in our digital transformation journey. That's why addressing challenge in digital transformation requires a flexible approach. This is what we were trying to apply in our second phases. We invented quick fixes framework. We wanted to apply flexible approach seeing longterm.

>> DENIZ SUSAR: Just if you could conclude. We have four minutes only.

>> SABRINE DACHRAOUI: Okay. I want to conclude next 15 seconds.

Okay. As society, want to emphasize our openness to collaboration. Our team brings together experts across multiple disciplines from technical implementation to policy design as well giving unique holistic perspective digital government challenges.

>> DENIZ SUSAR: Thank you. If you can give two minutes to start concluding the session. Your points are well taken and very to the point One minute, one question from the audience, from the participants.

>> DIMITRIS SARANTIS: From accessible project for the person with disabilities.

>> DENIZ SUSAR: If you can respond to that in the chat.

>> DIMITRIS SARANTIS: Wanted to put some of the findings of the Tunisian case into global perspective. Key weaknesses for the Tunisian municipalities are not provision of information online. It's more about transactional service. This is where these findings also have a role to national policy and the role of national government in providing key enabler or digital transactional services like electronic identification, digit signatures, providing also a national set of policy and technical components to enable and empower local authorities to deliver service online. Not just information.

This is something we see not just being a challenge in emerging economies global rich north, federal countries, for instance, don't have national infrastructure identifier or signatures. Case in Canada and UK, for instance, that becomes a barrier for transactional service delivery and transactional developments. So local framework cannot work exclusively in isolation. It is linked to also national policy priorities enablers directly given to the national government. Interesting outcome of Tunisia in a regional perspective.

>> DENIZ SUSAR: Thank you so much. That was for that. Sorry for the rush. We have 2 minutes. Accessibility question. Another one we have relevant associated features with those. Taking those and I appreciate Dimitris responding in the chat.

Just to say a few words in conclusion, I think Sabrine's remarks were really to the point. So here at the IGF, UN Secretary General's Forum on Internet Issues, brings technical community, private sector, civil satellite, and of course governments together. Project was a very good example of that.

So with the Tunisian e‑government society leading this initiative, so we are reaching out to local government officials, but we are also creating collaboration.

I think second part of your presentation is innovation. You are building on existing methodology and further expanding it similar to our national and local e‑government toolkits really highlighting, and I think this will be very good example for other countries to pick from here and learn from, and I think it will definitely help others so I just wanted to thank you for that and conclude this session here and the recording will be available online. And I'm sure, Sabrine, people interested will be in touch with us. So thank you very much especially to the Tunisian E‑government Society for this excellent session.