In order to help governments implement open-source technologies, we must first understand the global policy implementation landscape. To support this effort, the DPGA launched the Global Open-Source Policies and Practices Survey in June last year as part of our Call for Collaborative Action. The initiative culminated in a report published in November 2025 by the researcher Melissa Muñoz Suro, which outlines four key policy recommendations to strengthen government

When we talk about digital transformation in government, it’s easy to imagine a single, sweeping decision: a new national policy is signed and open-source software is formally embraced. This clean, linear narrative is appealing, but the key finding from the research was that it rarely reflects the complex reality of how public institutions actually change.

To follow up on last year’s report, we spoke with digital leaders from eleven different countries and organisations. A different picture emerged; one that is far more pragmatic, incremental, and interesting. We discovered that the real story of open source in government isn’t written in formal policy documents, but in the unwritten rules of procurement offices, the strategic choices of agency-level teams, and the evolving motivations of countries.

Here are the five most surprising lessons we learned about how governments are navigating their journey with open-source software today:

1. The Most Common 'Open-Source Policy' Is No Formal Policy at All

One of the most counter-intuitive takeaways from our conversations was that many governments successfully foster open-source adoption without a standalone, formal policy. Instead of a single, monolithic law, they embed open-source principles within broader digitalisation strategies, building momentum from the ground up.

In Norway, for instance, the national government has no official open-source strategy. Yet, within the country's development agency (NORAD), one of its departments has pioneered a strict "open policy" that requires open source and open data as conditions for funding its projects and programs.

Similarly, Togo embeds open-source principles within its general digitalisation policies, treating them as the preferred first option for new projects, even without a dedicated open source law.

Perhaps the most insightful perspective came from Uganda. After a previous attempt to create a formal open-source policy failed to gain traction, leaders now believe it is more effective to begin with a softer instrument, such as a guideline. The goal is to first "create a market" and demonstrate value. Only once the ecosystem is more matured can a more robust governance framework be introduced. This incremental approach avoids the political battles of a top-down mandate and allows open source to prove its worth on its own terms.

2. The Real Fight for Open Source Isn't in Cabinet—It's in Procurement

While political leaders may support open source in principle, the real battle is won or lost in the details of government procurement. We heard repeatedly that risk-averse procurement rules, designed for a world of proprietary software licenses, are the single biggest practical barrier to adoption.

In Sri Lanka, the answer to the main barrier was immediate and emphatic: procurement. This sentiment was echoed across borders. In Norway, officials observed that procurement officers are highly risk-averse, concerned that errors could cause years of delays. This fear drives them to favor familiar, proprietary vendors and view open source, with its different budgeting models that lack a line-item for a license fee, as an inherent risk.

In Uganda, the challenge is embedded in the law itself. Procurement regulations often require vendors to demonstrate "10 years of experience" and track record of multiple "similar projects" on their resume, criteria that are difficult for smaller, local open-source providers to meet and inherently favor large, established proprietary companies. These seemingly neutral rules effectively disadvantage open source before it can even compete.

3. One Country's Radical Strategy: To Build an Ecosystem, First Own the Code

Uganda also provides a contrasting perspective. While many governments struggle with procurement, the country has developed a unique and surprisingly effective strategy to foster a local ecosystem: it takes ownership of the intellectual property (IP).

The policy is simple but powerful; when the Ugandan government procures custom software, it also procures the full IP. This approach has had two transformative outcomes. First, it jump-started the local software industry. Most foreign companies were unwilling to work under these terms, but local developers were. This didn't just give them a chance; it actively reshaped the market in their favor, creating a powerful competitive advantage for homegrown talent.

Second, it led to the creation of a "digital government registry", an internal repository of all government-owned software and its components. Now, when a ministry needs a new system, officials first check the registry to see if they can reuse existing modules. This practice of internal code-sharing has dramatically reduced development costs and timelines. In one case, a project that would have previously taken two years is now estimated to take just eight months. By owning the code, Uganda is effectively building its own internal, government-wide open-source community.

4. The Conversation Has Shifted from 'Cost' to 'Control' and 'Sovereignty'

For years, one of the the primary arguments for open source in government was cost savings. While that benefit remains significant, our interviews revealed a clear shift in motivation toward digital sovereignty, security, and local capacity building. As a representative from France put it succinctly:

This focus on control and self-reliance is now a driving force. Leaders in Uganda see open source as the best path to "digital sovereignty," arguing that the real financial burden of proprietary software isn't the upfront acquisition cost, but the long-term "cost of maintenance" and inescapable vendor lock-in.

The experience in Singapore shows that this isn't just a theoretical benefit. Their in-house open-source products were found to be not only "20 times" more cost-effective but also often "a lot more safer, secure, reliable" than expensive commercial alternatives. Similarly, Rwanda's list of open-source benefits starts with cost reduction but quickly pivots to transparency, trust, innovation, and, most importantly, building a "homegrown technology ecosystem". The conversation is no longer just about saving money; it's about building a more resilient and independent digital future.

5. The Toughest Hurdles Are Human: Misunderstanding and Bandwidth

Ultimately, some of the most persistent barriers to open source adoption aren't technical or legal, but human. Our interviews highlighted two key people problems such as deep-seated misunderstandings about what "open source" means and the practical, day-to-day challenge of limited team bandwidth.

A representative from Norway captured the first challenge perfectly, expressing frustration with outdated myths that continue to plague decision-making.

The second challenge is organisational. In Singapore, a major blocker is the lack of "bandwidth in the product teams". Internal teams are driven by their own KPIs, and open-sourcing a mature, stable product is rarely a top priority. It requires significant internal advocacy (nudging, persuading, convincing) to get teams to allocate time and resources to prepare their code for public release.

This underscores a point made by the representative from Ethiopia: success requires translating technical concepts into clear language not just for understanding, but for empowering non-technical leaders to make strategic decisions and ensure long-term governance. Without this bridge, even the most powerful open source solutions will struggle to gain the support needed to overcome human inertia.

A Messy, Pragmatic Path Forward

The real story of open source in government is not one of grand policy declarations but of pragmatic, incremental, and often informal progress. The fierce battles in procurement and the persistent human hurdles of misunderstanding and inertia help explain why so many governments succeed not with a single, top-down mandate, but with a softer, more embedded approach. The path forward is currently messy, but it is undeniably moving in the right direction.

As digital infrastructure becomes inseparable from national interest, will these practical, bottom-up approaches become the default model for building a more sovereign and sustainable digital future?

Related Efforts Led by DPGA Members

In addition to the collaborative effort on the survey, members advanced additional relevant open-source policy projects during this time:

• Inter-American Development Bank: Produced a guide explaining what an Open-Source Program Office (OSPO) is and providing an introductory guide for government teams on how to create one to manage their open-source strategy.

• OSPO Alliance Good Governance Handbook: The Good Governance Initiative (GGI) is a handbook and methodology developed by the OSPO Alliance to help organisations implement corporate-wide open-source policies and establish successful OSPOs.

• UNDP/ITU Open Source System Enabler: The Open Source Ecosystem Enabler (OSEE) is a joint ITU and UNDP project that aims to help public and private actors effectively adopt open-source technologies for delivering digital government services.

• Github OSPO Repository: This GitHub repository provides a collection of policies, tools, and best practices from GitHub's own OSPO to help other organisations get started and succeed with their open-source programs.