IDAT Consortium supports program coordination and delivery to advance evidence-based governance across two critical sectors of the economy
The Government of Sri Lanka has advanced a key national digital transformation priority through the launch and handover of Decision Support Systems for the fisheries and plantation sectors under the Inclusive Digital Agriculture Transformation Program, known as IDAT. The Government-led initiative is designed to strengthen how public institutions collect, integrate and use data to guide policy, planning, resource allocation and service delivery.
The Fisheries Sector Decision Support System brings together data from six Government institutions: The National Aquaculture Development Authority, Ceylon Fisheries Harbours Corporation, Ceylon Fisheries Corporation, Cey-Nor Foundation, North Sea Ltd. and the Central Fish Market (Colombo).
The platform provides integrated datasets, dashboards, visual analytics, reports, monitoring tools and alerts to support decisions relating to fisheries production, aquaculture, market intelligence, operational performance, sustainability and resource management. Its development included institutional consultations, system design, analytical development, validation, capacity building, user acceptance testing and production-readiness activities.
“The Fisheries DSS represents an important step in modernizing sector governance through reliable data and evidence-based decision-making. By bringing institutional data together, the platform strengthens planning, monitoring, forecasting and resource management across the fisheries sector. This initiative will strengthen institutional efficiency, transparency and responsiveness while supporting Sri Lanka’s broader digital transformation agenda,” said Dr. B.K. Kolita Kamal Jinadasa, Secretary to the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources.
The Plantation Sector Decision Support System integrates information from the Sri Lanka Tea Board, Tea Small Holdings Development Authority, Rubber Development Department, Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka, Coconut Cultivation Board, Coconut Development Authority and Sri Lanka Cashew Corporation.
“The Plantation DSS marks an important step in strengthening evidence-based governance, enabling institutions to make better-informed decisions through integrated data and analytics. The platform will strengthen institutional coordination, operational efficiency and long-term planning across Sri Lanka’s plantation sector. This initiative demonstrates how collaboration and digital public infrastructure can support a more competitive, resilient and sustainable plantation economy,” said Gunadasa Samarasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure.
Through a single Government-owned platform, decision makers can monitor the performance of tea, rubber, coconut and cashew, assess district-level trends, review exports, track investments and subsidy programs, understand climate and weather-related impacts and identify areas requiring timely intervention. The platform is intended to help Government institutions better target programs and investments while monitoring progress against national development priorities.
The progress achieved through IDAT was recently highlighted during a visit to Sri Lanka by a Gates Foundation delegation. With Government stakeholders, the delegation reviewed demonstrations of the Fisheries and Plantation Decision Support System dashboards, showcasing the progress made by public institutions in moving from fragmented data and reporting towards more integrated, data-driven planning and decision-making.
The IDAT Prograreflects the Government’s wider commitment to developing trusted digital public infrastructure and strengthening evidence-based governance across agriculture and fisheries. Both platforms have been formally handed over as Government-owned digital public assets, with institutional ownership, capacity building and continuous data use incorporated into their operating models.
Commenting on the initiatives, Waruna Sri Dhanapala, Secretary, Ministry of Digital Economy said, “Digital technologies, interoperable data systems and advanced analytics are becoming fundamental to modern governance. The Fisheries and Plantation Sector DSSs demonstrate how Digital Public Infrastructure can strengthen evidence-based decision-making, improve institutional coordination and enhance service delivery across strategically important sectors. Through IDAT, we are supporting a government-led approach that uses trusted data and digital systems to advance economic resilience, sustainability, inclusive development and Sri Lanka’s broader digital transformation.”
The program was delivered by the IDAT Consortium, bringing together the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, the Ministry of Digital Economy, Sarvodaya, PwC, MillenniumIT ESP and Connect to Care (CTC). The consortium members contributed expertise across sector engagement, institutional assessments, data governance, systems architecture, technology development, analytics, capacity building, change management and operational readiness.
Major General Chandana Priyantha Arangalla (Retd.), Project Director of Connect to Care’s Inclusive Digital Agriculture Transformation (IDAT) program, said, “Our responsibility as the Program Management Office was to support coordination across a complex institutional environment and help ensure that the Government’s objectives remained central throughout delivery. The platforms are now owned by the institutions they were designed to serve. Their long-term value will come from continued Government leadership, trusted data and consistent use in everyday decision-making.”
The Fisheries and Plantation Sector Decision Support Systems represent an important foundation for Sri Lanka’s continued digital agriculture transformation. By connecting institutions around reliable information and shared national priorities, the program supports a transition from fragmented reporting to coordinated action, and from data collection to measurable public impact.