10 FIGURE 2.1 The structure of township governance Township Departmental Offices MULTISECTORAL DEPARTMENTS DRD GAD DAOs SECTORAL DEPARTMENTS Education Members of Parliament l Amyotha Hluttaw l Pyithu Hluttaw l State/Region Hluttaw Township Development Affairs Committee Planning 40+ sectoral departments per township, such as: Health Township Committees l 30+ committees per township. Committees vary by township. l GAD Township Administrator is the chair of most township committees l Some committees feature public, MP, and W/VTA participation. Forestry Agriculture Electricity l l l l l l l Township Plan Formulation and Implementation Committee Township Security Committee Township Health Committee Township Education Committee Township Farmland Management Body Township Stability, Security and Rule of Law Committee Scrutinizing Confiscated Farmlands and Other Lands Committee Township Citizenship or Associate Citizenship Investigation Body Community Leaders (formal and informal) l Ward/Village Tract Administrators l Village headers and household heads l Respected elders Township Management Committee Community Committees l Ward/Village Tract Committees l Village Committees COMMUNITIES Different departments and their parent ministries have their own internal standards, policies, and procedures for data collection, storage, use, and analysis. As noted by the NSDS, statistical activities are fragmented. As a consequence, there are several overlapping and potentially competing frameworks for data governance at the local level, with significant implications for the quality and usability of data. If data-collection methods vary across departments—with overlapping and conflicting definitions, for example— there is a significant risk that multiple “versions of the truth” will be developed. Even if all are equally valid, this incommensurability can prevent shared understandings of issues and make it harder for policymakers to separate valid from invalid data, undermining their trust in data overall. The government of Myanmar is committed to e-government, but the governance framework for digital data is incomplete. There is currently no specific legal framework for digital data or digital security in Myanmar. In 2019, Japan provided support to develop a cybersecurity law covering e-government and cybersecurity,21 but no new laws have been enacted to date. The need for a legal framework is recognized in the Myanmar e Governance Master Plan (2016–20),22 which sets out the government’s planned transition to digital systems and establishes government committees to oversee implementation. The plan sets out important policies related to data security, shared IT infrastructure (including cloud computing), and open data standards. The plan calls for investment in “common data services… in order for other relevant