Launch of “Our Voice” Mobile Application to Support Citizens in Reporting on Public Services

Phnom Penh, 28 July 2022 – Today marks the official launch of “Our Voice” mobile application, a new tool for citizens to provide feedback, including making a complaint, about public services at the sub-national level in Cambodia.

Jointly developed by the Ministry of Interior (MoI), Transparency International Cambodia (TI Cambodia) and ActionAid Cambodia (AAC), ‘Our Voice’ mobile application is a free, user friendly, and confidential mechanism for the public to make complaints, seek support, ask for information and evaluate public services in their localities. The aim behind was to contribute toward building a more transparent, inclusive, and accountable public service in Cambodia, particularly gender responsive public services. Since January 2020, with generous financial support from the European Union (EU) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), technical teams from the Department of Functions and Resources of the Ministry of Interior, TI Cambodia and Actionaid Cambodia have collaborated to design the mobile application, which includes the organization of several rounds of consultative meetings with a broad range of stakeholders at both the national and sub-national levels to solicit their inputs on the application.

By early 2022, the near final version of the application was developed and successfully deployed for testing across dozens of sub-national administrative offices in Cambodia. These include three One Window Service Units (OWSU) and Provincial/Capital Ombudsman (PO), eight One Window Service Offices and District Ombudsman (DO), and 30 Commune/Sangkat offices.

“This official launch of the “Our Voices” mobile application marks another important milestone toward effective public services in Cambodia. Given the high rates of smartphone and internet penetration in the country, the introduction and implementation of this mobile application could not have come at a better time. The mobile application will offer citizens especially youths a modern yet simple and easy-to-use platform to interact and communicate their concerns and needs with public service providers, thereby enhancing good governance, and accountable and responsive public service delivery in the country.” said Mr Pech Pisey, Executive Director of TI Cambodia.

The Our Voice mobile application project is part of a broader EU and Sida funded cooperation framework between MoI, TI Cambodia and Actionaid Cambodia to facilitate citizen feedbacks and responses from public service providers and ultimately strengthen local governance and accountable and gender responsive public services (GRPS). The three institutions have been working together to improve the capacity of public officials of Ministry of Interior and targeted sub-national service providers of One-Window Service Offices/Units and Ombudsmen Offices as well as targeted communes and sangkats on accountable and gender responsive public service delivery, and build the capacity of youth, especially young women, and providing them platforms to engage in dialogues and monitoring of public service delivery at targeted areas. The cooperation framework also prioritises the conducts of multi-stakeholder dialogues at sub-national and national levels to address citizens’ concerns and feedbacks on public service delivery and facilitate policy responses.

To Access the Mobile Application

Download (App Name) from App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android) via
https://www.ticambodia.org/ourvoices/

Open the app and follow the instruction to set up the app

Start using the app!

Media contact

Mr Pech Pisey, Executive Director of Transparency International Cambodia,

(855) 89 972 620, piseypech@ticambodia.org

Download Mobile App Launch Press Release

###

Transparency International Cambodia (TI Cambodia) is a National Chapter of Transparency International, a global movement leading the fight against corruption. The organisation has a mission to work with all key stakeholders including the Government, CSOs, Private Companies, Media, other stakeholders and citizens to promote transparency, integrity and accountability. On 31 March 2020, TI Cambodia signed a three-year Cooperation Agreement with the MoI to implement a project titled “Greater Young Women Empowerment in Decision Making and Accountable Public Service Delivery”. The main objective of the project is “to create an enabling environment and empower youth, particularly young women, in Cambodia to effectively participate in decision-making processes to improve public service delivery, particularly gender-responsiveness and reduce corruption in Cambodia.