Lay Puthineath, Data Scientist, Technical Team, General Secretariat of the Digital Government Committee (DGC), Cambodia

1. How do you use technology/policy to improve citizens’ lives? Tell us about your role or organisation. 

I work as a Data Scientist at the General Secretariat of the Digital Government Committee (DGC), where I support management in making informed, data-driven decisions.

My primary focus is on designing and developing dashboards and analytics tools that provide insights into the performance of various digital government products. 

These tools help streamline operations, improve service delivery, and enhance transparency across departments. 

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2. What was the most impactful project you worked on this year? 

This year, one of the most impactful projects I contributed to involved enhancing the use of data for problem analysis and decision-making across various digital government products.

My role focused on gathering and analysing requirements from stakeholders, collaborating with data engineers to ensure data accuracy, and building intuitive dashboards that provide actionable insights. 

This project helped streamline reporting processes and gave key decision-makers better tools to monitor performance and address challenges more efficiently. It was rewarding to see how data-driven solutions can lead to improvements in public services. 

3. What was one unexpected learning from 2024? 

One of the most unexpected lessons this year was realising the importance of asking the right questions when gathering business requirements.

As a data scientist, it's easy to focus on technical solutions, but understanding the core problem from a business perspective is equally critical.

This shift in approach has significantly improved my ability to design solutions that align with organisational goals and deliver real value. 

4. What’s a tool or technique you’re excited to explore in 2025? 

In 2025, I’m excited to explore advanced data automation and governance tools.

These tools can help improve data quality, streamline data integration processes, and ensure compliance with best practices for managing large datasets.

I'm also looking forward to experimenting with more visualisation techniques to create dashboards that are not only informative but also highly intuitive and user-friendly, making data insights accessible to a broader range of stakeholders. 

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5. Everybody’s talking about AI today – give us your hot take on AI and what it means for the public sector.

AI is a powerful tool that can transform the public sector by automating repetitive tasks, enhancing decision-making, and improving service delivery.

However, it also brings challenges related to data privacy, bias, and accountability. 

To fully realise the benefits of AI, it’s essential for governments to adopt responsible AI frameworks that prioritise transparency, fairness, and ethical use.

AI should be a tool that supports and enhances human decision-making rather than replacing it, ensuring that technology serves the public good while maintaining trust and inclusivity.  

6. What are your priorities for 2025? 

One of my top priorities for 2025 is to contribute more to improving and expanding the DGC’s digital products. I want to focus on making our dashboards and analytics tools more efficient and user-friendly, so they provide better insights for decision-makers. 

I’m also looking forward to supporting nationwide projects that use data to solve larger challenges, like improving public service delivery and making government processes more transparent and efficient.

Another important goal is to mentor and develop our team while also learning from experts in the field. This combination of growth and collaboration will help us take on more complex and impactful projects. 

7. What advice do you have for public sector innovators? 

1. Work together: When different people work together, they can find better solutions to big problems. 

2. Understand the problem first: Before fixing something, make sure you really understand what's wrong. 

3. Use data and technology wisely: Use data and technology to make good decisions, but always think about how it will affect people. 

4. Be flexible: Be ready to change your plans as technology changes and people's needs change. 

8. Who inspires you today? 

I’m really inspired by the women leaders and innovators who are making a difference in tech and government.

Seeing how they’re using technology to solve real-world problems and improve people’s lives is truly inspiring.

I’m also motivated by the growing tech community in Cambodia. It’s exciting to see how people here are using technology to address our country’s challenges, from education to healthcare and other domains.

I believe that by working together, we can harness the power of digital governance to create a better future for Cambodia. 

To read our past coverage of Cambodia's Digital Government Committee (DGC), click here.

This feature was made possible in partnership with Cambodia’s General Secretariat of the Digital Government Committee (DGC).