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https://sustainabledevelopment-rwanda.github.io/

Why was Open SDG chosen?

We chose this platform because it gave us country ownership and the ability to customise the site, as well as providing key features that we need. The fact it is an open source, it allows the Rwanda SDGs reporting team to link up with others and share knowledge as we network.

Which organisation was responsible for choosing and implementing the platform?

The National Institute of Statistics Rwanda (NISR)

How did you set up your country reporting based on Open SDG?

We have a strategic partnership with the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) and they worked with the Centre for Open Data Enterprise (CODE) to set up the platform for us. The actual switch of our live site to Open SDG was done during a workshop with ONS in Rwanda.

How long did it take to set up the platform?

Adopting the SDG open data did not take long. Just one day to set up the platform. But its updation is ongoing.

How do you upload data and metadata into the platform?

We have data from previous systems (eg DevInfo) as Excel files and receive data from MDAs in various formats. ONS ran a training session and helped us use Excel and scripts (Python and VBA) to convert the data and metadata into the required format and troubleshoot any errors during the upload process.

How is the platform hosted? (GitHub, local server, other platform)

Currently the staging and public production versions are both hosted on GitHub.

How are support and maintenance managed for the platform?

We have a team of staff within NISR that is being trained by ONS in using and managing the platform and ONS help us with any technical issues. We have not assigned web developer resource yet as we are using the features built in to Open SDG and we liaise with ONS to feed in our requirements.

What languages is your platform available in?

Currently our platform is in English only. But because we have multiple official languages in Rwanda, the platform will include other languages in future.

What customisations were added to the Open SDG platform?

So far, the platform is reporting on the SDGs indicators that are applicable to the Rwanda context. Very soon the Rwanda map in the platform will be functional. In the future, the platform will be used to report on indicators of the National Strategy for the Transformation. This means that more indicators that are not included in the SDGs will be added and corresponding visualizations.

What advice and lessons learned could you give to other countries considering using Open SDG?

This open platform is easy to be customised. Ownership: through capacity building by UK team, ownership assures the sustainability of the system. Establishing a local and permanent SDG reporting team and continuously enhancing its capabiliyies is also very vital for the project. Collaborations between globally networked operators is another adventage of the open SDG platform.

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