To help non-governmental organizations and non-profit organizations (NGO/NPO) improve external services, facilitate work efficiency and operational effectiveness, and develop cross-organizational data collaboration, the Ministry of Digital Affairs (the MODA) has launched the Data Empowerment & Innovation for Social Good project. This initiative supports NGOs and NPOs in their journey toward data transformation. In its first year, the project was honored with the IT Matters Awards 2024 Social Impact Project Award, with the award ceremony held on the afternoon of December 11th at the Taipei Marriott Hotel.

Launched in 2023, the IT Matters Awards Social Impact Project Award recognizes companies, products, projects, and individuals with positive IT talent, technology, and applications. The award aims to lay a solid foundation for Taiwan's future digital competitiveness and shape Taiwan as a country that can best utilize its IT professional capabilities. This year, the award expanded the scale and attracted hundreds of industries and public sectors to compete again. The award added "IT Matters Social Impact Product/Project Award," with a total of 6 award categories, and the "Data Empowerment & Innovation for Social Good" of the Data Innovation Department of the MODA has been recognized by judges.

MODA noted that this project is the first government initiative focusing on data innovation to address societal challenges and promote public welfare. The project emphasizes a Data × Society × Technology × Field"  digital transformation equation.  Beginning with an Empowering Map involving around 500 organizations, the project conducted user-centered data courses, workshops, customized coaching, and mutual exchange networks,  combining policymaking with Design Thinking. These efforts brought together experts in data science, data applications and social welfare, environmental protection, marketing, law, social enterprises, and animal protection to develop knowledge and technical resources. The project trained 557 NGO/NPO workers from 289 organizations in its first phase.

MODA highlighted eight teams that completed phases of data transformation under this program. These include the Bornanew Youth Caring Association, Formosa Cancer Foundation, WildOne, Syin-Lu Social Welfare Foundation, Taiwan Digital Talking Book Association(TDTB), Hope Foundation for Cancer Care, Taiwan Equality Campaign, and the Azure Alliance with IndigoWaters Institute. Based on their needs and conditions, these teams have stepped out of a multi-dimensional data transformation process. For example, TDTB Association, advocating for digital equity for the visually impaired, addressed the problem of high administrative cost by using the Objective Key Result (OKR) method to prioritize goals and combined cloud management permissions and digital tools to re-anchor the core work to the organization which successfully improve the efficiency of staffing planning.

Additionally, the Formosa Cancer Foundation, which has long been dedicated to cancer patient services, improved data quality by sorting out cross-departmental data, paving the way for future AI-driven patient services. Azure Alliance and IndigoWaters Institute, already equipped with a strong data science foundation, used project resources to interface with the Central Weather Administration's open data via API and no longer needed to download the data manually. They have completed the marine waste prediction models to contribute to ocean sustainability.

MODA emphasized that Data Empowerment aims to support diverse and disadvantaged groups, while "Public Welfare Innovation" aims to bring lasting societal benefits. Winning the Social Impact Project Award reflects societal recognition and sets expectations for the future. The MODA will continue to focus on data innovation, empowering NGO/NPO partners, and building a new digital society's soft and hard power. The project's second phase is ongoing, with annual results and the latest updates at https://moda.gov.tw/major-policies/ngoempower/1465.