Tech for Green Cities (T4GC) Quarterly Report January 1, 2020 – March 31, 2020 (FY’20 Q2)

The project aims to increase responsiveness, accountability, and transparency of public Waste Management Services (WMS) in Cambodia by enhancing citizens' rights and participation in governance, while stimulating sustainable waste management practices. The project is being piloted in two sites within Cambodia, Battambang and Banteay Meanchey, and in 28 communes/Sangkats within 10 target districts and municipalities. The project's goal is to develop a web platform and a smartphone app that enables citizens to report waste management issues to local service providers and track progress on their service requests. In parallel, awareness-raising and outreach activities with citizens and local WMS providers will promote improved waste management practices, raise expectations for the accountability of public services delivery, and stimulate the expansion of a circular economy based on waste reduction, reuse, and recycling, consistent with Cambodia's 3R strategy. The project has made significant progress in the first quarter of 2020. Key accomplishments include convening two data sourcing and stakeholder consultation workshops, which brought together local government officials, civil society organizations, and private sector representatives to discuss data sharing and collaboration. Additionally, the project team has made significant progress in developing the web platform and smartphone app, with a functional prototype expected to be completed by the end of the quarter. The project has also made progress in promoting awareness and outreach activities, with a series of community meetings and workshops held in Battambang and Banteay Meanchey. These activities aimed to raise awareness about the importance of waste management and the benefits of the T4GC platform. Furthermore, the project team has established partnerships with local government agencies, civil society organizations, and private sector companies to support the implementation of the project. The project's implementation is generally on track, with overall work plan/targets for the current reporting period and year being met. However, the project team has identified several challenges, including the need to improve data sharing and collaboration among stakeholders, and the need to increase awareness and adoption of the T4GC platform among citizens and local WMS providers. The project's success will be measured by its ability to increase responsiveness, accountability, and transparency of public WMS in Cambodia, and to stimulate sustainable waste management practices. The project's impact will be evaluated through a series of performance indicators, including the number of citizens using the T4GC platform, the number of service requests received and resolved, and the level of awareness and adoption of sustainable waste management practices among citizens and local WMS providers. The project's geographic focus is on Battambang and Banteay Meanchey, two provinces in western Cambodia. The project's context is the need to improve waste management practices in Cambodia, which is facing significant challenges in managing its waste, including a lack of infrastructure, inadequate waste collection and disposal practices, and a lack of awareness and education among citizens. The project's timeframes are from October 1, 2019, to September 30, 2022, with the first quarter of 2020 being the reporting period. The project's recommendations include the need to improve data sharing and collaboration among stakeholders, and the need to increase awareness and adoption of the T4GC platform among citizens and local WMS providers.