The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs in Sri Lanka and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have a longstanding collaboration in the Youth Development Sector. This partnership was further strengthened under UNDP Asia and the Pacific Regional Youth Programme (YEP-AP) 2023-2026 and HackaDev – UNDP Sri Lanka’s flagship youth development programme.

In 2022, heeding the call of National Youth Corps (NYC) which comes under the purview of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, the UNDP commenced the revamping of NYC’s Life Skills Curriculum with the support of  Citra,  HackaDev Academy of Learning and Skills, other UN agencies, subject matter experts, and technical professionals.

National Youth Corps is the mandated body for provision of Life Skills for young people in Sri Lanka. It has a network of 58 training centers across the island covering all districts. Furthermore, NYC has a strong pool of over 200 Life Skills Instructors. Through this setup, NYC is currently serving an estimate of 10,000 young people annually.

Making youth future-ready

21st century skills are foundational for a resilient and innovative young generation in Sri Lanka that can take leadership in accelerating the SDGs for the country. By transforming national institutions that serve young people to be user-centric, future-ready and to leave no one behind, young people can be equipped with essential skills including Life Skills. Through this programmatic intervention, young people in Sri Lanka, especially from underserved and vulnerable backgrounds, will have access and will benefit from the acquisition of critical and relevant skills that will enable them to succeed in multiple aspects of life such as civic rights and participation, lifelong learning, decent work, health and well-being and others, whilst contributing to society in a responsible and productive manner.

Citra’s expertise in human centered design approaches were catalytic in designing and implementing a transformative programme for NYC. Furthermore, the facilitative training capacity at Citra was an advantage to the successful completion of the programme. 

HackaDev Academy of Learning and Skills, supported by Citra, has been working with young people across Sri Lanka providing 21st Century skills. HackaDev Academy’s learning programmes such as Technopreneurship for Social Change, Engage to Disengage, Youth for Diversity and Inclusion and Innovation for Social Change were incorporated into the Life Skills Curriculum of NYC. With the expertise of the HackaDev programme and Citra Lab, Training of Trainer (TOT) and Train The Trainer (TTT) programmes were designed and delivered to provide the Life Skills instructors of NYC with relevant technical knowledge on the modules of the new curriculum and skills to become more effective trainers.

Life Skills Curriculum

Preliminary assessments, surveys, discussions, interviews, and observations by the UNDP team identified the existing Life Skills curriculum as a  foundation that requires significant enhancement across content, instructor guidance, learning aids, materials, and delivery methodologies. The curriculum is offered as a three-month course for all NYC students island-wide. The revamp began with a collaborative exercise between UNDP and NYC core teams to cluster existing modules and identify new critical areas for inclusion.

Together with technical experts and other UN agencies, UNDP’s Citra Social Innovation Lab through the HackaDev Academy of Learning and Skills developed the Life Skills Curriculum for NYC consisting of the following nine modules:

1. Diversity and Inclusion
2. Critical Media and Information Literacy
3. Entrepreneurship and Innovation
4. Future of Work
5. Politics and Economics
6. Gender and Sexuality
7. Health and Wellbeing
8. Global Citizenship Education
9. Core Skills for Life (Bootcamp)

The modules included learning resources, classroom content and instructor’s guide books for each module in Sinhala, Tamil and English.

TOT Programmes

UNDP conducted 25 TOT programmes for three batches of Life Skills Instructors, including an awareness programme for Provincial Directors and Officers in Charge of the Training Centers over a period of one year. Over 200 Development Officers and Development Assistants working in the capacity of Life Skills Instructors and officials were trained on the upgraded syllabus, which will be delivered to more than 10,000 young people annually at NYC’s 58 Training Centers.

An awards ceremony to recognize trained instructors is planned. UNDP will publish a final project report on the project progress, further detailing recommendations to be adopted by NYC and the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs in similar engagements and exercises.

In 2023, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs consulted Citra to identify a framework for capacity development of its Small Enterprise Development Division (SEDD) as part of UNDP’s Regional Youth Programme YEP – AP 2023-2026 (Youth Empowerment Portfolio in the Asia and the Pacific. The SEDD has a formidable entrepreneur network with over 1000 ground level-based enterprise development officers. Following the first meeting held between the officials from SEDD and Citra in September 2023, Citra designed a series of workshops to gather relevant information about SEDDs current functions and the issues/challenges faced by the SEDD staff and entrepreneurs in different areas. 

Through the process-oriented workshop series Citra team was able to identify a set of major challenges such as absence of an enabling environment for the officers to function efficiently, lack of business coaching skills, lack of communication and coordination skills among both SEDD officials and entrepreneurs, insufficient digital knowledge and less updated about the entrepreneurship ecosystem. 

In mapping out possible solutions, Citra focused on three main areas of providing services related to starting new businesses and developing existing businesses focusing on the village/division, directing entrepreneurs to produce goods that can be produced in the country instead of imported goods and directing them to produce goods based on the export market and providing related services for the same. 

In mapping out these identified pain points and finding practical solutions, Citra convened a set of relevant and experienced ecosystem partners such as Curve Up (Pvt) Ltd, Square Hub (Pvt) Ltd, Hatch Works, Dialog Ideamart, Information Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), Ceylon Chamber of Commers and the International Labor Organization (ILO) to ensure all required aspects are covered.

As part of these workshop series Citra and SEDD managed to further identify the following areas to be focused and addressed in order to add muscle to the SEDD to provide best support to the existing and new enterprises in the country:

1. Capacity building support to SEDD officials on identified areas where they need further knowledge to become ‘incubation managers’.
2. Review and recommend necessary upgrades to SEDD MIS to create generating better data for decision making. A few ecosystem players were brought together to provide necessary feedback on SEDD’s MIS and relevant connections were made for further engagements.  
3. Provide technical support to improve the ‘New Enterprise Creation Pathway’ for SEDD, building on UNDP Sri Lanka’s tested and proven fully-fledged innovation challenge to fuel new innovative enterprise creation targets. As part of this, a few rounds of working sessions were conducted to craft the new enterprise creation pathway for SEDD where required technical expertise and resources were provided.  
4. Ecosystem linkage building for collaborations for better mentorship and coaching of enterprises.
5. Curation of existing knowledge products related to enterprise development.

These interventions envisage to leverage Sri Lankan entrepreneurship and take it to the next level by forging contemporary best entrepreneurial practices and furthering the inherent Sri Lankan skill.

The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector aims to equip youth and adults with the skills necessary for gainful employment, thereby contributing to national economic growth and social inclusion. There is ample opportunity to transform the TVET landscape in Sri Lanka, ensuring that it is inclusive, market-oriented, and aligned with international standards. Citra has been providing its support to the Government of Sri Lanka on this front, using its expertise in innovation and systems design, coupled with its experience in the skills sector over the years. 

In early 2024, Citra supported the Ministry of Education by facilitating a discussion to prepare an action plan for the TVET sector, with the participation of over 100 officials and stakeholders from the TVET ecosystem. The key findings from this session were handed over to the Ministry to be used for the development of the National Skills Actions Plan. 

Currently, Citra is in the process of initiating a future skills study aimed at aligning workforce capabilities with the emerging demands in the world. The study will employ foresight methodologies to anticipate skill needs, address existing gaps, and enable strategic labour market planning. The study also seeks to inform efforts to build institutional capacities to conduct regular youth skills anticipation exercises, ensuring long-term adaptability and resilience of Sri Lanka’s labour market. 

By addressing these challenges, the study will support Sri Lanka’s broader aspirations for economic recovery, social stability, and sustainable development while contributing to UNDP’s ongoing efforts to foster youth empowerment and inclusive growth. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming various aspects of life the world over. It has the potential to take many fields, including education, agriculture, and healthcare, to new levels of quality and efficiency. For instance, AI can assist governments in providing more effective, efficient, and citizen-centric services to its people.  

The COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated that governments around the world must better prepare for disruptive events that have a significant impact on their economies and societies. In the coming years, AI will play an increasingly significant role in the global economy. 

To this end, AI readiness refers to the extent to which a government is prepared to leverage the benefits and mitigate the risks of AI, through strategies, policies, and regulations

Committee on Formulating a Strategy for AI

In the midst of a fast-evolving global economic landscape, Sri Lanka stands at a crucial juncture in terms of its development trajectory. In the face of complex challenges, including the impacts of the pandemic and economic crisis,  transformative and innovative solutions could help pave the way to recovery.  AI offers an unparalleled opportunity to address these challenges head-on and drive inclusive growth, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In 2023, the Government of Sri Lanka appointed a multi-stakeholder Committee on Formulating a Strategy for AI (CFSAI) for Sri Lanka, under the Presidential Secretariat. This committee comprised representatives from government, private sector, academia, and civil society. UNDP Sri Lanka was invited to be a part of this committee, and through the Citra team, provided support to the CFSAI.

As an initial step, Citra leveraged technical expertise from UNDP’s Chief Digital Office (CDO) and used UNDP’s very own AI Readiness Assessment (AIRA) as a diagnostic tool prior to beginning the strategy development work. The AIRA primarily looks at three key dimensions: (1) Government as an Enabler of AI; (2) Government as a User of AI; and (3)Ethics around AI adoption and utilization. 

Drawing from Best Practices

In developing the strategy, Citra held several meetings and other deliberations with multiple government officials, industry experts, private sector representatives, and several international agencies as well. To understand and draw from regional experiences and practices, we also spoke to government counterparts in Singapore and India, subject matter experts in the field, and other international organizations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure (CDPI), and UNESCO among others. By collating these insights, we developed a White Paper on AI which carefully analyzed the country’s current AI landscape and outlined the initial strategic vision.

The strategy’s vision is to rapidly accelerate the responsible development and adoption of AI to realize a digitally empowered Sri Lanka that fosters innovation, inclusion, social good, and sustainable growth, in alignment with the SDGs. Building on the Digital Strategy 2030, the government aims to establish Sri Lanka as a regional hub for AI development, testing, deployment, and scaling of solutions that delivers transformative impact across sectors.

To realize this ambitious vision, the country will adopt a centrally coordinated AI strategy that addresses gaps, builds on strengths, seizes opportunities, and mitigates risks. The strategy will have a dual focus on: (1) rapid value creation through quick-win projects that demonstrate AI’s tangible benefits; and (2) sustained capability development by investing in essential skills, data, infrastructure, research, and a conducive ecosystem.

Assuring inclusivity

Sri Lanka’s AI strategy is guided by seven core principles: inclusivity and responsibility, trustworthiness and transparency, human-centricity, adoption-focus and impact-orientation, agile and adaptive governance, collaboration and global engagement, and sustainability and future-readiness. These guiding tenets will ensure that Sri Lanka’s AI development efforts align with national goals and values, while safeguarding citizen rights and welfare.

The National AI Strategy marks a critical milestone in Sri Lanka’s digital transformation journey. The draft strategy document is currently open for public feedback and consultations, in order to ensure that the process is truly inclusive and participatory, given that AI has the potential to impact all segments of society.

If you would like to read and share your thoughts on the Strategy document and the accompanying annexure of proposed initiatives, please click here.

In recognition of the fact that the next layer of leaders within the public sector of Sri Lanka needs to be equipped with the necessary skills and mindsets required to tackle the country’s ambitious development goals, Citra designed and facilitated the Citra Fellowship on Public Service Excellence, with guidance from and in collaboration with the President’s Office, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Public Administration, and the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA). This four-month experiential learning programme was customized by Citra to suit the requirements of the public sector officials to further strengthen and transform them to become innovative and agile in championing the sustainable development process of the country.

Building on the success of the Fellowship since its initial one back in 2019,  Citra introduced a new iteration of the Fellowship programme that was tailored specifically for higher level officials, namely, Additional Secretaries, and Senior Assistant Secretaries working across different Ministries in Sri Lanka. 

The potential participants were selected through an independent selection criterion to complete the Fellowship programme which consisted of three stages. Upon the successful completion of the programme, they had the opportunity of joining a network of over 120 Fellows in Sri Lanka, and seven other countries and a wider network of more than 900 public officials who champion the embedding of innovation, strategic foresight, and digital skills and tools within their respective departments and organisations. 

Forging a Forward-thinking Public Sector

With the objective of building an exclusive cohort of leaders within the highest level of public service officials, Citra exposed the participants to new ways of development planning, strategic foresight, innovation tools and approaches such as Human Centred Design, Collective Intelligence, as well as Anticipatory, Adaptive and Agile Governance (AAAG) principles at relevant stages of the programme.  The ultimate aim of these interventions is to forge an efficient and forward-thinking public service sector to meet the current development visions of Sri Lanka. 

Elements of the Fellowship

The programme covers various focus areas using hands-on, game-based, experiential learning methodologies to ensure maximum engagement of participants, and to also highlight the practicality of these tools and approaches. The first stage  which consists of a  five-day residential programme covers modules under broad areas such as innovation and foresight approaches for policy making and development work, strategic futures, and citizen-centric digital transformation. 

The second stage of the Fellowship commences when participants return to their respective workplaces. After the completion of the programme, participants carry out a small-scale project over three months in their own department or organization. The project could be as small as introducing a new step which makes an already existing process more efficient or redesigning an existing process altogether. During this experimental period, the Citra team plays the role of mentors, and hold regularly scheduled check- ins with the participants, and connect relevant stakeholders and technical partners to assist in the implementation of this pilot project. 

Additionally, during the residential portion of the programme, we also aim to change the mindsets of the participants and inspire them to become champions of innovation in Sri Lanka. As such, one of the highlights of the Fellowship is the daily evening fireside chats we facilitate with noteworthy individuals from various sectors including Ministers, current and retired secretaries, innovative business leaders, and others. These engagements give the opportunity for the participants to hear from key folks who have carried out daring initiatives in their own fields, and be inspired to do the same in their own workspaces.

Recognizing Innovation Champions

At the concluding third stage of the Fellowship, which is marked by a recap event, the Fellows are reconvened to share their experiences, learnings and challenges in trying to innovate within their own workplaces. Several Fellows in past recap events have acknowledged the programme to have been a dynamic and innovative one which championed a paradigm shift in their thinking and problem-solving process within their organizations. 

The recap is also an opportunity to lend voice to the work they have done throughout the Fellowship programme and recognize the capacity of the Fellows as innovation champions and leaders within the public sector. 

Going forward, Citra together with UNDP will also facilitate the engagement of relevant technical experts from its expansive network of regional and global partners across the various thematic areas to further elevate the programme, and to make it a truly global experience for the public sector officials in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) system, primarily paper-based, has high coverage for birth, death, marriage, and divorce registrations. Birth registration coverage in Sri Lanka, according to data from the World Bank is estimated at over 95 percent, indicating widespread access to registration services. Efforts to decentralize registration offices have contributed to improved accessibility, particularly in remote and underserved areas. While almost all births occur in hospitals, over 50 percent of deaths take place in non-hospital settings, necessitating data capture from various registration points.

The Registrar-General’s Department (RGD) recently developed a digital e-Population registry with data entry at the divisional secretariat level. However, the current CRVS system faces several challenges that hinder its effectiveness and efficiency. Firstly, the existing e-population registry lacks interoperability with other identity management registries in the country, leading to fragmented data management and limited integration across systems. Moreover, the system struggles to handle high volumes of data entry and processing, resulting in delays and inefficiencies in record-keeping. Additionally, the system is vendor locked, limiting flexibility and scalability for future upgrades and improvements. 

In terms of birth registrations, there are significant issues with the manual documentation process, particularly in areas with high birth volumes. This manual process leads to longer wait times for registration and delays in obtaining birth certificates. Furthermore, the current practice of entering birth data onto the e-population registry every two to three months through divisional secretariat divisions further compounds these delays and increases the risk of errors or discrepancies in recorded information. 

Similarly, death registrations also face notable hurdles within the CRVS system. While hospital deaths are well-documented, with detailed information on causes of death recorded, community deaths lack comprehensive reporting, often resulting in misreporting of actual causes of death. Moreover, the issuance of death certificates is carried out manually rather than electronically, further contributing to inefficiencies and delays in the system. These challenges collectively impede the accurate recording and reporting of vital statistics. As a result, the CRVS system is unable to fulfil its essential functions and provide timely and reliable data for decision-making and policy formulation. 

To fill this gap, Citra is presently collaborating with several stakeholders including the WHO and the RGD to digitize and modernize Sri Lanka’s CRVS system to provide citizens, especially marginalized groups—with secure, accessible, and timely civil registration. 

Our objective is to streamline birth and death registration, integrate data across government agencies, and establish a comprehensive registry that enables all citizens to access essential services and legal documentation, contributing to equitable social and economic participation.

A digitalised e-population registry is envisaged to serve as a centralized and interoperable platform that integrates various identity management registries within the country, addressing the challenge of fragmentation and lack of interoperability across systems. It will also serve as the base in the design and scaling of the Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity (SLUDI) project. Drawing on successful models from regional partners, including India’s Aadhaar system, and supported by evidence-based advocacy, we believe this approach will be transformative for Sri Lanka.

The project will be four-pronged as follows:

1. Mapping of existing processes and conducting business process reengineering to identify inefficiencies and opportunities to streamline CRVS operations. 
2. Building for Interoperability and Data Exchange and Governance:  Establish an interoperability platform to facilitate data exchange and collaboration among government agencies, ensuring seamless integration of digital CRVS systems with other government registries and databases. 
3. Improve Policy and Regulatory Frameworks: Advocating for policy and regulatory reforms to support digital transformation initiatives, including data sharing agreements, privacy protections, legislation reform that allows for digital/electronic records, and legal frameworks for digital governance. 
4. Upskilling, Advocacy and Awareness: Develop a behavioural change advocacy campaign targeting both residents and public sector to raise awareness on the benefits of digital CRVS systems and the importance of participation, as well as public sector upskilling to effectively utilize the CRVS system. 

The success of this three year-project which will run for three years, and will directly impact 1.3 million citizens, particularly underserved communities, by improving access to essential services and legal documentation. Health, education, and social services will benefit from real-time, accurate population data, enabling better resource allocation and planning. Beyond efficiency in service delivery, this system will foster public trust in government institutions through transparency and accountability, supporting Sri Lanka’s broader digital transformation and sustainable development goals. In the long run, the system’s improvements are expected to benefit all Sri Lankans, enhancing the inclusivity and efficiency of public service delivery.

Sri Lanka’s has been facing unprecedented environmental issues in recent years. Research reveals that the country’s forest cover was reduced by 4.8% between 2001-2020 and natural forest cover fell from 60% in 2000 to 54% in 2010. Road expansion, the opening up of land for agriculture/chena cultivation and infrastructure development have also posed threats to forests in the post-conflict period after 2009.

However, if a citizen wishes to report an environmental concern, the official mechanism to do so involves either: (a) the conventional method of calling or visiting a local government office or the police, or (b) reporting via the Department of Forestry’s website (the Department of Wildlife Conservation does not appear to have a functioning reporting mechanism), and thereafter waiting for action to be taken.

Anti-Corruption Innovation Initiative

A digital citizen engagement platform that could address these concerns and connect citizens wishing to report unsanctioned environmental activities to government officials, was mooted by the Department of Forest Conservation, the Department of Wildlife Conservation and other relevant entities. A joint proposal to the UNDP- Anti-Corruption Innovation Initiative, supported by Citra was submitted in this regard.  The UNDP- Anti-Corruption Innovation Initiative is a part of UNDP’s Anti-Corruption for Peaceful and Inclusive Societies (ACPIS) Global Project, funded by Norad. The initiative is also supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and Sida, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The main objective of this Anti-Corruption Innovation Initiative is to promote transparency, accountability and anti-corruption through technology and innovation to build forward better and accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.

The platform is to facilitate a two-way portal, so that citizens can:

• Report against harmful environmental practices and contribute towards crowdsourcing data. 
• Citizens can obtain information relating to environmental legislation and SOPs.
• Officials can obtain the information required to address such concerns.

Key Achievements 

The project succeeded in securing national level buy-in for the initiative through its partnership with the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation. 

Further to the first two co-design workshops convened for the government and civil society respectively, three more co-design workshops were held in the field for civil society and grassroots development practitioners and activists in the environmental field. These workshops were facilitated by the Centre for Environmental Justice and were conducted in Mannar, Monaragala and Colombo. The purpose of these workshops was to obtain ground-level perspectives on feasible solutions and expanding them.

Amidst the multiple challenges spurred by the economic crisis and its aftermath in the country, the project conducted a mapping of the digital infrastructure, capacities and capabilities of relevant government institutions to determine their readiness to adopt a digital platform of this nature. 

With training and awareness raising being key components of the project, workshops were conducted to raise awareness of government and civil society officials on existing environmental laws/legislations and how to access and utilise the platform, across 25 districts in the island.

The development of the platform is now complete and it will be launched in the first quarter of 2025.

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) serves as the foundational framework enabling the seamless delivery of digital services and fostering interactions among governments, businesses, and citizens. It comprises a spectrum of digital tools, platforms, and protocols designed to support the provision of public services, ensure data security, and promote digital inclusion. 

One of the most promising ways to dramatically improve a country’s ability to achieve the SDGs and improve the lives of millions is through the implementation of foundational DPI. There is clear evidence that DPI has a transformative effect and countries with strong DPI elements were able to respond quickly and effectively to turbulences, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indian experience is one of the best examples in this regard. DPI has also made economical advancements more equitable and have transformed entire economies through the introduction of tools such as digital payment platforms.

50-in-5 Campaign

Advancing DPI and ensuring its adoption across all sectors in countries is a priority area for UNDP globally as well for UNDP in Sri Lanka. UNDP together with their partners, launched its 50-in-5 campaign in 2023, which is a global campaign for implementing DPI, and building a foundation for achieving the SDGs and an inclusive and dynamic digital economy. The campaign works to advance country-led DPI implementation, foster cooperation among countries with like-minded infrastructure goals, and help provide a framework for countries considering adopting similar digital solutions. Within the five-year period, the campaign aims to have 50 countries implement a digital civil registry, payment systems, or secure data exchange to improve the lives of their residents and meet the SDGs.

In Sri Lanka, the first 50-in-5 project commenced in early 2024, aimed at strengthening the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRSV) system in the country. 

DPI in Action Series

Addressing the issue of limited understanding of DPI and its far-reaching benefits for Sri Lanka, Citra initiated a DPI in Action series through which a broad spectrum of public sector officials was brought together to deliberate on the positive impact DPI would have on the daily functioning of the government. As an extension of this conversation, Citra had discussions on the tax landscape of Sri Lanka and how DPI safeguards such as data privacy tools and other security tools could be built into the design of digital systems. These conversations have helped with increasing the understanding of DPI adoption and its benefits in Sri Lanka. Moreover, Citra’s conversations with diverse sectors in the country including transport, civil registration and vital statistics and agriculture, have enabled further insights into the nature of adoption of DPI so far in the public sector and how an interconnected mechanism could be further consolidated. 

Cultivating a DPI Mindset

These dialogues will also work towards cultivating a cohort of individuals and/or organizations equipped with the DPI mindset, capable of spearheading DPI-related digital transformation initiatives within the country. Furthermore, this initiative will also lay a strong foundation for a collective platform through which key partners working in the digital transformation ecosystem can convene to design effective project implementation. This will also include crafting a consolidated action plan to synchronize the efforts and resources of all stakeholders toward a collective goal.

 Parallel to the DPI in Action series, Citra is also currently engaged in conversations with development partners and potential donor communities that could collaborate to provide necessary support to implement identified DPI-related projects in the country.

Citra contributes to youth development and entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka through the HackaDev programme, a transformative initiative led by UNDP Sri Lanka supported by Youth Co:Lab. HackaDev empowers the nation’s youth to be innovators and change-makers, equipping them with next-generation skills. It is a platform which addresses the pressing development challenges through sustainable solutions.

HackaDev partners with many organisations including those from the public sector, private sector, youth organisations, regional and global entities on social innovation, incubators and accelerators, development partners and others to mainstream and support new innovations and enterprises through a more integrated ecosystem approach.

HackaDev is now a growing movement and a community of practice dedicated to realizing social innovation in Sri Lanka and beyond, bringing both young people and their innovations to focus in the decade of action towards achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). 

HackaDev consists of three major components along with a community-building aspect. The HackaDev Academy of Learning and Skills ensures young people in Sri Lanka have next-generation learning and skill-building opportunities. The HackaDev Innovation Challenge offers a complete idea to enterprise solutions for young people in Sri Lanka to bring their social innovation ideas to life. HackaDev Enterprise Incubation provides further support for young people to create sustainable enterprises through financial and technical assistance. HackaDev is also committed to building a vibrant and socially conscious community of practice that is promoting social innovation and entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka.

For more details on HackaDev’s programmes and opportunities, visit https://hackadev.lk/

Built from the data collected from UNDP’s National Citizen Survey (NCS) 2022-23, Citra, together with University of Oxford’s Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), launched Sri Lanka’s first ever Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) in September 2023.

The MVI assesses vulnerability in three critical dimensions: (1) Education; (2) Health and Disasters; and (3) Living Standards. The three dimensions are measured by 12 indicators, namely: school attendance, male years of schooling, female years of schooling, physical health condition, water source, food stock, experienced disasters, adaptive capacity to disasters, asset ownership, unemployment, precarious and informal employment and household debt status.  By combining the deprivations encountered by each household in each of these 12 indicators, the MVI presents a picture of vulnerability. 

Policy Report

The Policy Report titled ‘Understanding Multidimensional Vulnerabilities: Impact on People of Sri Lanka’, released in September 2023, presents the findings of the MVI. The report is a collaborative effort between UNDP’s Citra and OPHI, with technical guidance from the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) Sri Lanka. (Full report could be accessed at…)

The MVI is an indicator that attempts to capture the intersecting and overlapping vulnerabilities households face, going beyond measures of financial vulnerability to also consider educational, health-related, and other kinds of vulnerabilities in order to provide a more comprehensive picture of the challenges faced on the ground. The MVI serves to complement Sri Lanka’s National Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI), together providing a holistic perspective of the deprivations faced by households in Sri Lanka. 

 The key findings of the MVI 2022-2023 are as follows:

• Approximately six in ten (55.7 percent) people in Sri Lanka are multidimensionally vulnerable. 
• Among the 12.34 million individuals facing multidimensional vulnerabilities, a considerable 10.13 million are rural residents, notably concentrated in the Eastern, North, and North Central provinces.
• Debt status, adaptive capacity to disaster, and years of schooling are the primary factors driving Sri Lanka’s MVI. 
• 33.4 percent of the population experience deprivations in debt-related indicators, including getting into debt for essential needs like food, medical care, and education, as well as pawning jewellery or selling items. 
• Nearly half of Sri Lanka’s population (48.8 percent) lacks disaster preparedness, a key vulnerability factor aggravated by accelerating climate risks. 
• Male and female years of schooling are the third most contributing indicators to the MVI, highlighting the critical need for key interventions to enhance education levels among both genders. 
• 35.6 percent are vulnerable and deprived in relation to water sources.
• Several districts, including Ampara, Batticaloa, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Nuwara Eliya, Puttalam, and Vavuniya, exhibit notable multidimensional vulnerability values, with over 65 percent of their populations identified as multidimensionally vulnerable. 

Way Forward

The report offers a set of key policy and programmatic recommendations, drawn from the analysis of the MVI 2023 results and enriched by insights gathered through the FGDs.

Policymakers are encouraged to use insights from the National MPI into their interpretation of MVI data in order to identify synergies between the two indices and effectively address both vulnerability and poverty. The goal is for both MVI and MPI insights to drive adaptive policy and programmatic responses, ensuring inclusivity and leaving no one behind on the path to human-centered sustainable development.

Additionally, a key recommendation is that an official National MVI could serve as the government’s official metric for measuring multidimensional vulnerability, with the potential to comprehensively reflect the current socioeconomic landscape. A repeated National MVI, that builds on and goes beyond Sri Lanka’s official National MPI, can serve as a reliable monitoring and assessment tool.