On January 11, 2025, Open Knowledge Nepal (OKN) with support from Accountability Lab Nepal, hosted the PublicBodies Datathon at Hotel Himalaya. This datathon marked a critical milestone in advancing transparency and accountability in Nepal. By bringing together students, professionals, and governance experts, the datathon aimed to tackle a pressing issue: the lack of accessible and centralized information about public bodies in Nepal.

The Challenge: Nepal’s RTI Implementation Gap

Nepal’s Right to Information (RTI) Act was enacted to empower citizens through transparency. However, its implementation has faced significant barriers. Citizens often encounter outdated, paper-based systems that complicate the process of accessing public information.

The National Information Commission (NIC), tasked with overseeing RTI implementation, struggles with an inadequate data management system. This has resulted in the absence of a centralized platform where citizens can easily access critical information about public bodies or RTI officers, limiting the potential of the RTI Act to foster transparency.

The Solution: A Collaborative Approach

The PublicBodies Datathon was more than just an event – it was a strategic initiative to transform Nepal’s RTI ecosystem through collective action, collaboration, and innovative thinking

Highlights of the Datathon

• Orientation and Team Formation: The datathon kicked off with a dynamic orientation session led by Nikesh Balami, CEO and Co-founder of OKN. During this session, participants received comprehensive guidance on the datathon’s core objectives, working methodology, and essential tools, with particular emphasis on collaborative approaches and data accuracy standards. The event organized participants into eight diverse teams, each carefully structured with five members representing both technical and non-technical backgrounds. These teams were assigned to focus on specific governmental categories: Central Government, Provincial Government, Local Government (subdivided by provinces), Oversight & Regulatory Bodies, Public Service and Citizen Welfare Bodies, and Economic and Development Bodies.
• Expert Panel Discussion: A compelling panel discussion on “Past, Present and Future of RTI in Nepal” was skillfully moderated by Priya Lamichhane, Project Coordinator at OKN. The distinguished panel brought together key figures in Nepal’s RTI landscape: Gagan Bista, Information Commissioner at the National Information Commission; Suvechchha Chapagain, Program Manager at Accountability Lab Nepal; and Taranath Dahal, Executive Chief of Freedom Forum Nepal. The session provided valuable insights into critical aspects of RTI implementation, exploring challenges in information accessibility, examining RTI’s transformative impact on governance, and discussing strategic approaches to strengthen accountability mechanisms in Nepal’s public sector.
• Data Crowdsourcing: Throughout the datathon, participants engaged in a comprehensive data collection effort focused on gathering essential information about public bodies across Nepal. The collected data encompassed organizational identifiers such as names, types, and URLs, along with detailed contact information including addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. Special attention was given to documenting RTI officers’ names and their contact details. To maintain data quality and consistency, participants utilized Google Forms for data entry, while a dedicated team of mentors and volunteers conducted thorough reviews of all submissions to ensure accuracy and completeness of the information.
• Milestone Presentations: The datathon culminated with teams presenting their progress reports, where they not only showcased their achievements but also highlighted key challenges encountered during the data collection process and proposed practical solutions. Through these presentations, several significant findings emerged: teams successfully documented hundreds of public bodies despite working with limited resources, identified widespread gaps in RTI officer contact information, and discovered numerous instances of inaccessible or non-functional government websites. These insights provided valuable understanding of the current state of information accessibility in Nepal’s public sector and areas requiring immediate attention.

Impact and Achievements

• Diverse Participation: The datathon brought together an impressive cohort of 49 participants, encompassing both mentors and organizers, who represented a wide spectrum of professional backgrounds including agriculture, technology, law, and the NGO sector. This rich mix of interdisciplinary expertise fostered meaningful collaborations and enhanced the quality of discussions and outcomes, bringing diverse perspectives to the challenge of improving information accessibility in Nepal.
• Comprehensive Data Collection: Participants documented a wide array of details about public bodies, spanning various categories. Once cleaned and validated, the collected data will be made publicly accessible and officially shared with the National Information Commission (NIC).
• Actionable Insights: The datathon instilled a strong sense of ownership among participants, effectively bridging the gap between technical expertise and governance understanding. The challenges encountered during the event will serve as valuable insights, guiding future advocacy efforts aimed at improving Nepal’s Right to Information (RTI) processes and enhancing overall transparency.

Acknowledgments

The success of the PublicBodies Datathon was made possible through the collective efforts of participants, mentors, and supporting organizations, including Accountability Lab Nepal, National Information Commission, and Freedom Forum. By leveraging the power of youth, technology, and collaboration, the datathon has taken a significant step toward creating an open and accountable government in Nepal.

This initiative underscores the transformative power of informed action, demonstrating how collective efforts can drive meaningful change in public information access. The PublicBodies Datathon is not merely about data collection—it is a decisive step toward realizing the promise of open governance and ensuring that RTI remains a cornerstone of democracy in Nepal.