PESHAWAR: Two-way feedback system was launched in the provincial capital to provide government departments and elected representatives with real-time data for decision-making.

According to a statement issued here on Thursday, the USAID and Schunaizia Relief and Development Organisation (SRDO) launched Raye-O-Rah -- a dedicated website and mobile app for the citizens of Peshawar to submit candid feedback on the quality of local public services available in their area.

The website and app will enhance the responsiveness of government institutions to the needs of their constituents, the statement said, adding the website will also publish a periodic Local Governments Good Governance Index report, which will examine concerns submitted by citizens and measure the elected members’ responses. The mobile app is Android and IOS compatible and can be downloaded from Google Play and the Apple store, it said.

“This online platform directly connects communities with local government representatives while also allowing the provincial government to monitor the effectiveness of public services,” said Senator Aurangzeb Khan.

This initiative will boost the level of ownership communities feel about their own government by enabling them to directly contribute their own views and monitor how their elected representatives respond.

Aasim Wazir, executive director SRDO, underscored how Raye-O-Rah will revolutionise local governance, saying they had made this platform to be dynamic and easily replicable across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2018