A mobile based technology platform for citizen engagement in Malawi

The proliferation of mobile phones and the internet has presented opportunities to enhance communication between citizens, elected leaders, service providers and local government. This paper examines the status of citizen participation in Malawi and the gaps that exist. We leverage the exponential and continued growth of mobile phones; to develop a mobile responsive web based citizen engagement platform to address the deficiencies that exist in citizen engagement beyond elections as observed by scholars and practitioners. The paper presents work in progress on the development and deployment of this citizen engagement platform in Malawi. The prototype caters for data collection streams through SMS, web forms and social media. It also integrates multimedia files such as images, videos and audio for evidence based reporting. Beyond deployment of the platform, research will be conducted to unearth factors that influence or constrain citizens from adopting technology as a tool for engagement. Results of this study are expected to contribute to the discourse on use of ICTs as a tool for citizen engagement to inform subsequent deployments.