Sri Lanka’s Social Sector Sees Improvement in Doing Good Index (DGI) 2024

14 August 2024

The latest Doing Good Index (DGI) survey 2024, conducted by the Centre of Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS), reveals positive strides in Sri Lanka’s social sector, elevating its status from “Not Doing Enough” to “Doing Okay.” This progress was highlighted during a dissemination event organised by IPS in collaboration with CAPS, which focused on Sri Lanka’s report findings and the sector’s future, fostering discussion among key stakeholders and policymakers on enhancing social welfare delivery and learning from other Asian economies.

IPS Research Fellow Dr Asanka Wijesinghe noted that the DGI serves as a catalyst for engaging stakeholders and policymakers in addressing the trust deficit. The IPS partnered with the CAPS to complete this year’s survey involving 90 Sri Lankan Social Delivery Organizations (SDOs). The SDOs have a significant role in advancing sectors such as childcare, youth empowerment, digital education, and elderly care, especially given the government’s limited fiscal space.

CAPS Senior Adviser Kithmina Hewage noted Sri Lanka’s improvement in the regulatory environment and recommended modelling its social sector on successful examples from Malaysia and Thailand. He stressed that leveraging local support, enhancing government engagement, and boosting corporate involvement through direct funding and volunteer work could further improve Sri Lanka’s standing.

The panel discussion focused on the growing role of digital technologies in the sector. The survey found that 83 out of 90 Sri Lankan SDOs use Facebook for fundraising, but only 67% have cybersecurity plans in place. Despite only 12% of these organizations reporting cyber-attacks in the past two years, the need for robust online security measures is clear. Strengthening cybersecurity, developing digital capacity, and improving digital infrastructure are crucial for advancing digital fundraising.

During the panel discussion, Mr Sanjeewa Wimalagunerathne, Director of the NGO Secretariat, shared that they are expanding digital operations with Performance Indicator (PI) tools to cluster organizations efficiently and updating their reporting platform to include various media types, thereby enhancing transparency and trust.

Dr Nadee Dissanayake, Director of the Children’s Upliftment Programme Sri Lanka (CUPSL), highlighted the challenges of remote operations, particularly the limited digital skills of older staff and inadequate infrastructure in rural areas, which affect project sustainability.

Mr Nanadana Kumara, Senior Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Inland Revenue, stressed the need for consistent digital evidence in fundraising, advising donors and SDOs to retain legitimate proof of online transactions for tax concession purposes.

Mr Nishantha Preethiraj, Vice President of Sarvodaya, discussed the organization’s focus on technological advancement and the importance of gradual expansion in digital technology, especially for newer generations of volunteers.

Mr. Asith de Silva, Senior Manager of Social Innovations at Dialog Axiata PLC, highlighted the success of projects designed to be self-sustaining social enterprises post-funding, underscoring the importance of strong reporting practices in building community trust.

The event concluded with an interactive Q&A session, emphasising the importance of local support, government engagement, and corporate involvement to enhance the impact of Sri Lanka’s social sector.