The KP Civic Innovation Fellowship Program, which started with 46 candidate applications,12 Fellows and a handful of mentors in 2014 has far exceeded our expectations! The Program initiated by Code for Pakistan in partnership with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board (KPITB) and The World Bank has scaled exponentially in capacity and reach over the last 4 years.

We have been observing this surging trend for the past couple of batches now. With only 46 applicants for the 12 positions in the 1st batch to 633 applicants for the 20 part time positions in the 2nd batch to 1,010 applicants for the 20 full time positions in the 3rd batch and finally to an astounding 5,802 applicants for the same 20 full time positions in the 4th batch! (Hurray!)

We are a witness to the innovative software solutions that the Fellows have developed in the past, the achievements that we have secured over the years and the success stories our Fellows have generated. Riding the tide of such an encouraging response, we announced the call for applications for the 4th batch of the KP Government Innovation Fellowship Program 2018 (previously the KP Civic Innovation Fellowship Program) keeping a humble target of soliciting at least 1,500 applications. Little did we know that with the prestige that has been built around the Program (special shout out to the team!) we would gather a whooping 5,802 applications (God help the team screening them!). Here in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa we're excited by the prospects of emerging civic innovation and we are delighted that our Fellows are acting as an important force behind it.

Between 2014- 2016, our marketing strategy was focused on mass marketing, while in 2017 - 2018 we chose to focus on an even more welcoming community based storytelling approach. Through this approach all the stakeholders of this Program, including the Alumni, used their collective strengths and shared resources in reaching out to the masses. As a result we were able to gather 5.8x more applications, 3.5x more problem statements and we were able to reach out to more than 50 government departments. An overview of the success we have achieved even before launching the cycle can be seen below:

 This Program brings together the best and brightest talent from around the country to improve public services and bridge the gap between the public and the government. "The KP Fellowship Program has experienced tremendous growth during the past 4 years thanks to our super Fellows, amazing mentors and ever supportive partners," says Ebtihaj, Program Manager of the KP Government Innovation Fellowship Program. "Our partners have helped us reach out to government departments, generating better interest and helping us get the right buy-in from the departments," he adds

We feel it is important that Fellows not only get valuable professional development in their respective areas, but also help the government provide better services to the public and in return create a sense of trust between the government and the citizens. Additionally, our Fellowship Program provides several opportunities for the Fellows to deeply engage with the government. Fellows are also given an opportunity to expand their professional network through luncheons and workshops and to learn from our partners from all across the globe, particularly through the fabulous Code for All network, whereby members deliver talks and global civic tech knowledge sharing sessions to our Fellows. Each engagement opportunity is meant to broaden and strengthen our Fellows understanding of how to improve and innovate in public services. We hope it is a long, fruitful, informative and above all, fun journey.

We cannot wait to kick off the 4th cycle of the Fellowship Program soon! Stay tuned for the details!