The Digital Maldives for Adaptation, Decentralization and Diversification (D’MADD) Project conducted the National Data Sharing Program’s Use Case Data Readiness Design Labs from 14th to 16th July 2026 at Maagiri Hotel, Malé, bringing together government stakeholders to strengthen data readiness for priority social, health, and environmental use cases.

The three-day Design Labs were organized to support the implementation of the National Data Sharing Program by helping agencies examine the datasets, governance roles, institutional responsibilities, and practical next steps required to advance priority use cases toward implementation.

The sessions focused on three use cases reflecting the broader national direction of the data sharing program: improving social outcomes, enabling better access to health records, and strengthening environmental and marine ecosystem monitoring. Each use case was examined through the lens of data readiness, covering source-of-truth issues, metadata, data quality, access controls, stewardship, ownership, and cross-agency coordination.

The first Design Lab focused on how improved data readiness can support the delivery of social assistance and services for vulnerable populations. Stakeholders examined how data from social protection, health, registration, statistics, pension, and related systems can be better coordinated to enable more accurate targeting, improved service delivery, and reduced duplication.

The second Design Lab, held on 15 July, focused on the health sector and explored how secure, well-governed data sharing can support patients’ access to their own health records. Discussions addressed the importance of continuity of care, health information governance, patient rights, data classification, access controls, and coordination among relevant health, insurance, registration, and digital service stakeholders.

The final Design Lab focused on the use of environmental and marine data to monitor corals and marine ecosystems. Stakeholders explored how reliable, machine-readable, and well-governed data can support coral reef monitoring, environmental impact assessments, conservation efforts, and evidence-based decision-making for ecosystem resilience.

The Design Labs brought together stakeholders from across government and related institutions, including representatives from Maldives Digital Service, Ministry of Climate change, Environment and Energy, Ministry of Health and Family, Department of National Registration, Maldives Bureau of Statistics, Maldives Pension Administration Office, Environmental Regulatory Authority, Maldives Marine Research Institute, MINDCO, Aasandha Company Pvt Ltd, National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) and Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. This cross-agency participation underscores the importance of collaboration in building a trusted and effective national data sharing ecosystem.

The D’MADD Project supports the Maldives’ wider digital transformation agenda by strengthening digital infrastructure, improving public service delivery, and enabling the responsible use of data and analytics. Through the National Data Sharing Program, the project aims to help establish the governance, standards, and technical foundations needed for secure, interoperable, and sustainable data sharing across government.

The outcomes of the Design Labs are expected to inform the next stage of work under the National Data Sharing Program, including the clarification of priority datasets, governance responsibilities, interoperability requirements, and practical action points for each use case.