COVID-19: Citizens are news

Hyper-connected citizens express their opinions and unrest in real time. Answers, when they arrive, they do so at a slower rate. This lack of synching is generating problems. We are working to correct them.

We listen to millions of people in real time, contrasting open data with survey results and structured reports to contribute to maintain closeness between the three main development stakeholders: government, private sector, and citizenry.
To all the necessary work for a smart citizen participation planning in actions of information, dialogue, consultations, collaboration, and partnerships between all stakeholders, we add the technological muscle of an Artificial Intelligence, CivicLytics. This is allowing us to know the impact of the pandemic and work together to support the scenarios for exiting the crisis. The press echoed this effort, reflected in dozens of articles:

“People perceived lack of food. This perception was reported massively and instantly through social media, which generated emptying supermarkets. Understanding these information networks, also generated in times of emergencies, contributes to contain the negative impacts of this perception.”

Forbes Mexico

“The CivicLytics initiative from IDB Lab is using artificial intelligence to better understand the citizens’ needs and concerns during the pandemic, in relation to dignity, trust, safety and visibility; as well as informing solutions for the public and private sectors at the local and regional levels.”

Atlantic Council (United States)

“The only countries that did not express high levels of health insecurity through social media were Mexico, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. What these countries have in common is that they invested the most in cash transfers and delays in supply charges for the most underserved families.”

Excelsior (Mexico)

CiviClytiCs “is helping a lot to understand the needs of people and anticipate solutions.”

Forbes (United States)

“A few days after after quarantine was announced due to COVID-19, thousands of testimonies of extreme poverty and hunger rose, between March 16th and April 1st. Families from the region declared they only had between 2 and 3 weeks of savings to survive.”

NOTIMANIZALES (Colombia)

“Women talk about hygiene and social distancing measures 133% more than men. […] Isolation increases gender violence risk for many women. Men have less respect for isolation than women.”

enazuero.com (Panama)

“Throughout the quarantine, many people motivated their fellow citizens to support neighborhood businesses, with the goal of supporting local economies and adding to the Black Lives Matter campaign, which had a great media impact in all of Latin America and the Caribbean. This boosted support for black people.”

Actualidad Política (Argentina)

“The IDB provides data visualizations to keep citizens informed on the impact of COVID-19 and the current response to the pandemic. Many of these trackings encourage citizen participation to ensure governments know opinions and suggestions of all people.”

Center for Latin-American Studies, Georgetown University (United States) 

“Rough spikes of anxiety in the moment preventive social distancing measures emerged, to reach a second spike by the end of June, when mobility restrictions were reduced for most countries in the region. Citizens manifested phobias regarding contact with other people, or difficulty to be in groups due to the social propagation of the Coronavirus.”

ElCorreoGráfico (Argentina)

“Knowing what worries all citizens helps us to be a step ahead, improving coordination of actions between governments, private sector, and citizenry. These trends can be very useful to measure the impact of public policies, identify needs, narratives and opportunities.”

Cultura Empresarial (Mexico)

“CivicLytics detected a 350% increase in hunger testimonies in Venezuela shortly after 30 days of quarantine were announced.”

El Bolivarense (Colombia)

“This data allows to better listen and understand different categories of information related to civic needs such as dignity, trust, safety and visibility.”

Library of Congress, Argentina

“During the pandemic, CivicLytics shows how economic safety in households and companies has generated different types of conversations.”

Diario Digital de Tarija (Bolivia)

“CivicLytics provides a ‘thermometer’ for public opinion and allows flexibility to approach the needs of different localities and demographic groups. One of the main priorities for the development of the platform is the location in each country.”

WHO (United States)

“Knowing the CiviClytiCs data allows citizens, governments and private sector to implement innovative solutions.”

IET Smart Cities (Estados Unidos)

“CiviClytiCs searches to support the citizenry, governments and private sector to act on solutions at a local and regional scale.”

LaSegunda (Chile)

Download the report COVID-19 and the citizenry: the first 120 days to know what concerned the most in your country.

Know the citizen conversation in real time on CivicLytics.

To see more news about citizen participation, click here.