Data for SDGs Session - Event Report

Date
Saturday 6 March 2021
Location
Antananarivo, Madagascar (Europe, Middle East & Africa)
Organisers
Madagascar Initiatives for Digital Innovation

On Saturday 6th March 2021, the eleventh Open Data Day took place with people around the world organising hundreds of events to celebrate, promote and spread the use of open data. Thanks to generous support from key funders, the Open Knowledge Foundation was able to support the running of more than 60 of these events via our mini-grants scheme.

This event received an Open Knowledge Foundation mini-grant thanks to support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Photo of Data for SDGs Session

How did your event celebrate open data?

Since the celebration of Open Data Day started in the beginning of the week, the last day of celebrating Open Data Day was a special session about case study exchange and group work on using data for solving public issues.

The data collaboratives practices had enabled participants from different background within Government institutions and journalists to understand the value of data even those they have considered "meaningless" in the beginning. Together, we were able to create a fictional but potential "SMS Disease Surveillance" system that can be used to monitor Covid19 outbreak in Madagascar if some data from private company would be available.

The possibility of developing a mobile app for better Covid-19 logistic management was also presented after group discussion.

Lessons learned from your event

We learned that partnerships with government and the private sector can be useful but need some incentive measures (fiscal, for example) from local authorities to publish data. The level of data institutional response that should exist in a country requires more than data analytic skills.

Why do you love Open Data Day?

It's a valuable opportunity to exchange the importance of open data for development.

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