Cultivating a Data Culture in the United States
A few weeks ago, the AidData Partnership co-hosted a consultation event at the OpenGov Hub with Department of State’s Office of US Foreign Assistance Resources, the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) and USAID Global Development Lab. Under the theme of “Do More With Data,” this event featured participants from the public and private sectors, spanning the spectrum of open supply and demand.
From my perspective, what was most striking about this event was hearing representatives from the US Government (USG) express the same types of frustrations as Development Gateway’s international government partners – the challenges of securing internal buy-in for procedural changes, reporting burdens, system incompatibilities, inter-agency data sharing, and more.
In truth, these obstacles should not have been surprising. The USG, like all other governments, is composed of thousands of individuals, obligations, and technological systems.
And fortunately, like many other governments, the USG is filled with people pushing for better, more innovative policies and practices. From department heads and Presidential Innovation Fellows, to the FA.gov team and bureau information officers, hundreds of “data champions” are pushing for higher-quality data that is easy to curate and easier to use.
How can we as private citizens support more, higher-quality open data from the USG? Keep asking for and using more. There is an undeniably high demand within the USG for this information. However, as Dennis Vega emphasized in his remarks, external demand supports internal champions in a big way. If citizens and civil society can demonstrate an interest in, and use of, government information, it can become easier for champions to make internal inroads.
After numerous studies on data use, citizen voice, and data ecosystems internationally, we cannot forget to apply those lessons here at home. Open data starts with individuals, and it’s all of our responsibilities to cultivate a thriving and transparent ecosystem.
Image from AidData’s Twitter.
Share This Post
Related from our library
Three Key Takeaways From Discussions on Digital Transformation in Agriculture
Development Gateway: An IREX Venture (DG) hosted a discussion titled "Transforming Food Systems: The Power of Interoperability and Partnerships" at both Africa Food Systems Forum (AGRF) 2023 and the recently concluded ICT4Ag conference. Discussions from these critical events revolved around key themes crucial to DG’s ongoing work, including connecting people, institutions, partners, and systems when we think about technology working at scale to transform agriculture. In this blog, we explore three key takeaways from these conversations.
Democratizing Digital or Digitizing Democracy?
The 2023 OGP Summit in Tallinn, Estonia featured a number of discussions centered on open government in the digital age. While the use of digital tools in government is far from a new idea, the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a rapid expansion of this practice, with leaders quickly adapting to remote environments through digitizing government processes
Two Recommendations for Accelerating Digital Agriculture and Data Use
With the aim of improving the efficiency of agriculture data use, Development Gateway: An IREX Venture (DG), Jengalab, and TechChange—with a grant from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)—recently held a learning event, titled “Digital Agriculture: Building the Agricultural Systems of Tomorrow,” in Nairobi, Kenya. Participants identified two key recommendations for advancing digital agriculture in order to increase food security.