Case Studies
Our Products in the Wild
These Case Studies are examples of real world, practical applications of our products to give you an idea of how Open Cities Lab could help you solve your pressing data and system challenges.
Institutional Readiness & Governance Stability : Success factors for digital transformation interventions
As implementers, we often get asked how one overcomes ‘pilotitus’ - the tendency for digital projects to end after the pilot
stage before becoming institutionally embedded and creating an impact. While technical intervention design can help
with this, alone it is insufficient to deliver sustained impact. Empirical data from years of implementa...
Embracing Uncertainty: M&E Lessons from an Evolving Ecosystem Programme
As international development and urban governance initiatives grow more complex, capturing their true impact requires
monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks that are as dynamic as the environments they measure. This article reflects
on the core M&E lessons that emerged from the data technical assistance project of the UK FCDO’s Urba..
Using data to strengthen electricity asset maintenance in Cape Town
The approach focused on turning existing asset and maintenance data into a clearer spatial view for officials responsible
for inspection, maintenance and planning. Instead of requiring teams to work through dense lists and manual analysis,
the approach aimed to make maintenance gaps easier to interpret and act on.
The tool was built around...
Connecting water data to support more proactive infrastructure management in Cape Town
Water loss is a major priority in South African cities, especially Cape Town, where drought conditions have heightened the need to protect water availability. Disparate data systems led to delays which meant missed asset inspections and missed leaks, resulting in sub-optimal water management. For asset management, records in SAP and GIS did not always align...
How eThekwini Municipality sparked a data strategy community of practice that rippled across the country
Municipalities are often the closest sphere of government to residents, responsible for many of the services people rely on every day. Yet many continue to manage data in fragmented and reactive ways. Customer records are scattered across incompatible platforms, asset information is buried in static spreadsheets, and officials are often forced to rely on ma...