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We're not ones to say 'told you so', but…

If more digitalisation, transparency and accountability mechanisms had been adopted before the coronavirus pandemic hit, it's clear that many outcomes would have been different today.

Civic tech, digital democracy and open government organisations have been championing these reforms and mechanisms for decades, with the pandemic serving as a tragic example of why they're essential and not just ‘nice to have’.

Join mySociety and guests this autumn for a series of online discussions as part of mySociety's Impacts of Civic Technology (TICTeC) events programme, to reflect on the impacts of the above, and why digital transparency and accountability are more relevant than ever going forward.

Seminar 1:

Having more open data, and access to data, would have helped with responding to the COVID-19 crisis — that's the premise with which we'll start this discussion. 

More open contracting and beneficial ownership data would have helped governments the world over to make quicker and safer purchases of essential equipment to tackle COVID-19 — and that's just one example of how a reliable open data strategy could have saved time... and lives.

Join us to discuss this timely and important topic.

Seminar 2:

Things that once were deemed by governments as impossible or not important enough - like remote voting - have become a reality in parliaments across the world since the emergence of COVID-19. 

This session will get to the crux of why it’s taken a global pandemic to get more parliaments to digitise, and how new measures should be harnessed so future opportunities are not missed.

Seminar 3: 

The pandemic may be taking up all the column inches, but let's not forget that the climate emergency hasn't gone away. 

With the UN COP26 delayed until November 2021, this ‘borrowed’ time is crucial. We think it’s vital that we and the TICTeC community discuss the climate crisis and how the wealth of experience and expertise in the civic tech sector can feed into pivotal actions needed to tackle it. What can be learnt from previous civic tech initiatives, and from the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure the right decisions are taken and opportunities are not missed?

More details on the exact date, topic and panelists for this discussion will be added to the TICTeC website soon. If you would like to suggest a speaker or topic for this discussion (or ideas for future TICTeC seminars!) please get in touch; we'd love to hear your thoughts.   

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Unlike in-person events, there's virtually no restriction on how many people can join us online. So please share this message anywhere you can: newsletters, social media, email, mailing lists etc.

Thanks! Hope to see you there :)

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