14 is unstructured, and storage tends to be informal and insecure. There are still significant barriers to digitalizing local data collection. The resources and infrastructure needed to develop and manage digital data-collection systems are costly and difficult to assemble. The infrastructure to support digital data solutions is simply lacking in many places (see box B), as are trained and data-literate personnel to do the work. Data used by the government is predominantly collected by the government itself, rather than by secondary sources. A considerable amount of information is collected by local civil society organizations, local research organizations, or members of the community, but government officials often view data from outside sources as less trustworthy, or they may be unsure how to use it. There is thus a substantial fund of data that is collected, but unused by government. Ward and village-tract administrators fulfill an important role in collecting community-level information on behalf of government departments. Ward and village-tract administrators and GAD clerks collect a broad range of data for township departments. The bulk of this collection is done on behalf of the GAD, with the so-called “27 forms” gathering routine data on demography, infrastructure, nongovernmental organizations, and law and order.35 In addition to this routine information, ward and village-tract administrators get frequent, ad hoc requests for information from the GAD, sometimes on behalf of other government departments—for example, information on affected communities in emergencies such as natural disasters. This data-collection function gives them significant authority to act as the voice of communities and shape the government’s understanding of local needs and conditions. Administrators and clerks report that ad hoc data collection is increasingly conducted over the phone by department officials, rather than through the use of forms. To date, ward and village-tract administrators have received little training in data collection, posing the risk that ward and village-tract administrators will interpret and execute data-collection requests in different ways. This may affect data quality and commensurability. There are examples of community-led data collection, in which communities collectively provide their own data to government. With the direction and support of the DRD, thousands of communities across Myanmar have produced village development plans,36 which capture detailed information about demographics, livelihoods, infrastructure, services, and the community’s perceived development needs. Annex C provides an overview of information contained in village development plans from the National Community-Driven Development Project (NCDDP). BOX B ICT infrastructure within township government offices Most township department offices do not yet have the ICT infrastructure to support the change to a digital data ecosystem. Technology is expensive, and significant resources will be needed to develop and manage the required infrastructure. Hardware. Where township department officials do have access to computers, they are often obsolete and unreliable. Power outages are common throughout the country, and while battery backup may be available for some desktop workstations, officials often must rely on their own smartphones or tablets. Software. Most government computers use Microsoft Windows 10 as their operating system, and Android is the most common operating system on smartphones and tablets. Government officials use Microsoft Word and Excel, and there is growing use of Google Docs and Google Drive. Facebook and Viber are very commonly used by township officials for communication. Antivirus software is not always used on government computers, and some software may be unlicensed, leading to significant security vulnerabilities. Networking. Government offices may have local area networks to share files and printers, but they often don’t have reliable, wired internet access, and officials must resort to tethered smartphones or public Wi-Fi hotspots. Tech support. When IT problems crop up, there is often no one in the township who can fix them. Sometimes the local IT shop or an acquaintance can find a solution; other times, problems just persist.