Collaboration, capacity, and accelerating progress
DataDotOrg
data.org is a platform for partnerships committed to building the field of data science for social impact.
What does it take to build the field of data for social impact?
As my colleague, Perry Hewitt , outlined clearly in her recent op-ed for Devex, it takes collaboration and capacity. Those strategies have long been at the center of our work at data.org, with renewed focus in the wake of our report, “Workforce Wanted: Data Talent for Social Impact,” which highlighted the potential to develop 3.5 million purpose-driven data professionals in low- and middle-income countries between now and 2032.?
If anything, that number has only increased. Yet our collective efforts are not yet meeting the urgency of the moment.
Building on what works and driving progress was the theme last week at our first-ever, Accelerate: Data for Social Impact Conference. We will have more takeaways to share in the months to come, but one thing that is clear is that we must continue to convene these kinds of global, interdisciplinary conversations where we are sharing not just theory or research, but the tangible tools and practical resources that we can collectively learn from, adapt, and scale.
From that collaboration, effective capacity-building strategies are born. Strategies like our emerging digital learning initiative, developing and adapting rigorous coursework that gives a nuanced understanding and a principled approach to effective–and ethical–data governance. A new digital learning course focused on Responsible Data Management launched last month in Nigeria, thanks to my colleague Uyi (O.T.) Stewart .
On both fronts–fostering collaboration and building capacity–there is so much more to come. So stay tuned, get connected, share your story, and join us in building the field. The needs are great, but the potential is greater.?
Cheers,
Danil Mikhailov | Executive Director, data.org
AI2AI Challenge is Live!
At the Accelerate conference, hosted in partnership with the Harvard Data Science Initiative , DataDotOrg and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth launched the Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Inclusion Challenge (#AI2AI Challenge), a global call for innovative existing AI solutions seeking scale to accelerate inclusion and economic empowerment. Organizations using AI to address financial security and support for social entrepreneurs and small businesses are invited to apply through July 18, 2024, with winners announced by early 2025.
Making the (Data) Connection
Hosted on the Library section of the data.org website, we unveiled earlier this year a new suite of digital products that includes a curated jobs board, expert Q&A, easy-to-use guides, and more. Central to the platform is our Data Maturity Assessment, which serves as a starting point for social impact organizations looking to better understand their data capacity so they can scale up and maximize data and AI accordingly.
Two Years, 2,000 Cases
While many features of Data Connects are new to DataDotOrg ’s offerings, the Data Maturity Assessment has been a resource to the social sector for two years. In that time, more than 2,000 SIOs have used the tool, providing both leaders on the ground–and our team at DataDotOrg –access to important insights. Director of Partnerships Lindsey Gottschalk shares in a recent post what we’ve learned from the DMA tool and the role it will play in advancing the field as we move forward.