IRI’s Global Civic Tech Community: The Optimists’ Network
Across the globe, local governments, politicians, and civic actors are innovatively embracing technology to increase accountability, improve governance, and further democratic principles. However, many of these innovations are local and, therefore, receive limited international attention, which prevents initiatives from being scaled, adopted, or championed more broadly. IRI’s civic tech and government technology (GovTech) virtual community, the Optimists’ Network, seeks to change that. IRI has connected 200+ innovative local actors from across 62 countries and provided access to opportunities that increase their capacity to use technology to advance governance. Network members connect, share, inspire, and learn from one another. The Optimists’ Network is the key mechanism the Technology and Democracy Practice uses to engage with and support the global civic tech community.
The network is comprised of innovative local actors – including local government officials, technologists, activists, and civil society – who are already using technology or are interested in gaining skills to create, support and advance digital grassroots initiatives to improve citizens’ lives and government functioning. The network connects members with opportunities to platform their work and build relationships through a regular virtual speaker series, called the Optimists’ Hour; through skills building trainings; access to financial support to scale and sustain initiatives; travel opportunities to international conferences; in-person connections with other local actors through regional in-person convenings; and opportunities to contribute their expertise in the development of IRI resources.
If you’re working to advance technology for democracy and would like to connect with or become a part of this network, please email Diana Kurth at dkurth@iri.org for more information. All activities listed below are facilitated through IRI’s Optimists’ Network.
Optimists’ Network Offerings
The Optimists’ Summit: A Global Convening in March 2025
To augment ongoing work in the Optimists’ Network, and in response to the pressing challenge of addressing gaps in collaboration and dialogue both regionally and globally within the civic tech and GovTech community, IRI will host its first-ever virtual Optimists’ Summit in March 2025. The Optimists’ Summit will convene IRI’s Optimists’ Network and the broader civic tech and GovTech community for global and regional knowledge exchange and relationship-building. The summit will focus on discussing the latest trends and challenges in civic tech and GovTech work, enhancing key skills, and fostering connections to support global efforts to leverage tech for democracy.
This summit will take place virtually over three days, scheduled to accommodate different time zones to capture diverse perspectives from around the globe, and will encourage longer-form, multi-stakeholder global dialogue on pressing topics related to advancing technology in-line with democratic principles.
Illustrative topics for panel and workshop sessions include:
- Open data and its intersection with civic tech using technology to enhance civic engagement
- Strengthening cybersecurity in civic tech
- Digital tools for elections
- Developing effective advocacy campaigns through and with digital tools
- Protecting information integrity through civic tech
- The impact of artificial intelligence on civic tech
- Among others!
There are opportunities to serve as a speaker or participant in this summit. Please reach out to dkurth@iri.org with questions or expressions of interest.
Financial Support: Small Civic Tech Grants
Small civic tech organizations have achieved inspiring impact – fostering citizen engagement through the development of citizen-centric digital apps; advancing transparency through the development of procurement data portals; strengthening accountability by tracking government promises, to name a few. The ability for civic tech organizations to achieve these impacts, let alone sustain and eventually scale them for greater long-term impact, is contingent on having the financial ability to do so.
IRI believes providing grants to civic tech organizations is essential for fostering innovation, supporting grassroots efforts, and addressing underrepresented issues in civic engagement. Grants help civic tech organizations scale their impact, build sustainable initiatives, and contribute to a diverse civic tech ecosystem that strengthens democratic values and promotes inclusive collaboration.
Over the past three years, IRI has provided 12 grants to support small civic tech organizations around the globe, advancing digital good governance initiatives spanning countries like Argentina, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, North Macedonia, and the Philippines, among others. All of these grants have achieved tangible impacts to improve democratic processes in their countries. Stay tuned for future calls for applications for IRI’s civic tech small-grants fund.
Grassroots Representation in Global Convenings
Convening civic tech organizations at global democracy gatherings – such as RightsCon, the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, ICT4D, etc. – is crucial for fostering collaboration, diverse knowledge exchange, and collective action. These events provide a platform for civic tech innovators to share best practices, learn from diverse global experiences, and align strategies to tackle common challenges like civic disengagement and digital divides. Through IRI’s civic tech and GovTech programming, IRI has served as a connector between small, often less-connected civic tech organizations and global communities to amplify their impact, form cross-sector partnerships, and ensure their solutions are integrated into broader efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and promote inclusive, accountable governance worldwide. Read more about the participation of IRI’s civic tech partners in global convenings below, and stay tuned for more updates on how IRI can serve as a connector for your organization in this space.
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