Open Cities Lab

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Open Cities Lab is a non-profit open and non-partisan organisation that combines the use of action research, co-design, data science, and technology with civic engagement to enable the development of inclusive cities and urban spaces. We believe that through empowering citizens, building trust and accountability in civic space, and building capacity with government, we will enable participation in

decision-making, evidence-based urban intervention, and inclusive co-design that will improve the lives of residents in urban spaces.

We’re growing! πŸ“’Open Cities Lab is looking for a Product Manager to join our team, starting January / February 2026.If y...
14/01/2026

We’re growing! πŸ“’

Open Cities Lab is looking for a Product Manager to join our team, starting January / February 2026.

If you’re passionate about using data, digital systems, and product thinking to strengthen public institutions and improve how cities serve residents, this role is for you.

As a Product Manager at OCL, you’ll work closely with government partners and cross-functional teams to guide data and digital strategy, shape impactful use cases, and support the delivery of tools, frameworks, and advisory services that enable more transparent, responsive, and inclusive urban governance.

Read more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/drTmTvHZ

No spam. Just honest reflections, useful resources, and stories from our work with cities across Africa. Subscribe to th...
23/12/2025

No spam. Just honest reflections, useful resources, and stories from our work with cities across Africa.

Subscribe to the Open Cities Lab newsletter and stay in the loop.

πŸ”— https://lnkd.in/dYU8E2Mv

As we start winding down for the year, we've been reflecting on 𝘡𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘡𝘩𝘒𝘡 𝘸𝘒𝘴 - one of those truly serendipitous mom...
17/12/2025

As we start winding down for the year, we've been reflecting on 𝘡𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘡𝘩𝘒𝘡 𝘸𝘒𝘴 - one of those truly serendipitous moments in the OCL calendar. It was a "divide-and-conquer" type challenge to be everywhere, all at once - but we did it!

The stages, conversations and impact we experienced was humbling, and a testament to a decade of showing up for African cities in a real, human way. So this article is a celebration of a team that presented Africa (and OCL) in the most impressive way.

It was OCL showing up in full colour for what we so wholeheartedly believe in: A team trusted to work with many others to build African cities where every resident regardless of income, identity or location can access essential services they need with dignity and ease. A team that's passionate about locally grounded digital public infrastructure (DPI) that enables long-term institutional change and supports African cities as they lead their own digital futures.

So, here's a story of 𝘡𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘡𝘩𝘒𝘡 𝘸𝘒𝘴: 3-7 November, 2025.

πŸ”— https://www.opencitieslab.org/the-week-that-was/

15/12/2025

When we talk about Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), we often jump straight to big national systems and shiny platforms. But for us at Open Cities Lab, the work starts much closer to home, in municipalities.

Because this is where data becomes real:
Who knows how many households there are?
Who owns the water and electricity asset registers?
Where is the single source of truth, and who is responsible for keeping it accurate?

This is the starting block we’re working on with cities: mapping foundational datasets, clarifying ownership across departments, and supporting the people (the data champions) who manage them. Not duplicating data. Not emailing spreadsheets around. Just getting the basics right.

Once municipalities know what data they have, who owns it, and who needs it, everything else becomes possible. This is where DPI shifts from abstract principles to practical readiness.

This is the thinking behind MijiBora, and why we hosted the MijiBora DPI Side Event back in November: to ground big DPI conversations in city reality.

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