We believe there is an opportunity to shape and develop 3.5 million data professionals focused on social impact in developing countries over the next 10 years.
That is the first line in the key findings section of “Workforce Wanted: Data Talent for Social Impact,” a first-of-its-kind report that data.org released in June of 2022 about a nascent sector that we are determined to build. Ever since we put those words to paper, that opportunity and the responsibility to realize it have been a guiding force for our organization. We don’t want to work on the edges. We want to be on the frontline of this work.
That is why data.org set an ambitious goal of training one million purpose-driven data practitioners by 2032.
“It’s a huge goal, but as you can see, the need is huge,” said Priyank Hirani, the director of capacity building at data.org. “Aiming low is not going to cut it to get the nonprofit and public sector to be able to leverage data and AI as well as the private sector does now. Having this huge number signals our seriousness.”
With the need clearly outlined, Hirani and the rest of our team are focused on how to deliver across what we call cases, capacity, and commons. We are proving the case through a series of innovation challenges that are amplifying and scaling effective strategies for data and AI. We are transforming the commons by supporting the community and creating and driving the adoption of digital public goods. Our library of resources is always evolving, from our easy-to-use playbooks to step-by-step guides. And lastly, we are strengthening the capacity for individuals and organizations to advance on their data journey.
“The march to one million is a collective goal for the organization underpinned by our platform and programs, with our work across cases, capacity, and commons in service of this goal,” said Hirani.
Hirani anchors data.org’s programmatic strategy to build capacity for individuals and organizations by guiding internal teams and supporting data.org’s network partners to design interventions at scale. Two of the primary channels through which data.org is building the field and enhancing a pipeline of digital workforce with an impact-first mindset are its flagship Capacity Accelerator Network (CAN) and its digital learning offerings. With accelerators based in the United States, India, and across Africa, Latam, and Asia Pacific (APAC), data.org’s network of networks approach is driving data for social impact (DSI) in financial inclusion and the intersection of climate and health. data.org delivers this through training, curriculum development, and experiential learning opportunities with a key focus on inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA). Our digital learning initiative is designed to work with large-scale partners to take local curricula and deliver them to the broadest audience possible.
In both workstreams, finding the right partner is the most important first step.
“It’s about identifying partners who resonate with our vision and commitment towards this mission, and then building trust and co-designing programs to ensure quality outputs,” he said. “Once you have these foundational blocks in place, it triggers this idea of self-accountability. We are all working towards shared goals and mission with a learning mindset to create resources in service of the impact sector.”
In the case of digital learning, those early partners have been governments in Nigeria and India. Working with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy and the National Data Protection Commission in Nigeria and the Capacity Building Commission and Karmayogi Bharat in India, we have launched courses that cover key topics like responsible data management, data governance, and global data regulatory frameworks. The modules in India are available to more than three million civil servants alone through the iGOT platform, presenting us with unprecedented reach and potential impact to support key decision-makers with crucial skills in handling data throughout its lifecycle.
Most importantly, says Hirani, the approach allows us to meet learners where they are.
“People learn in different ways. No one size fits all,” he said. “There are people who are more visual, they learn better through interactive elements, and then there are some who prefer reading or like a lot of additional references so they can do their own research. Our early impressions are that in order to cater to different needs of different people, having a modular approach and a suite of options to learn as well as several avenues and channels to learn from is most beneficial.”
Offerings may be self-paced and asynchronous in some cases, or cohort-based in others. But regardless of the delivery or where the learning is taking place in the world, we continue to emphasize leading with localism, learning by doing, and looking first to the needs of the community.
“While the core data science concepts remain the same, experiential learning and contextualization of content is where our capacity-building initiatives stand out. We weave relevant pedagogical and curricular elements into the training, including scenario-based activities, deep dives on country-specific data regulatory frameworks, and amplifying unusual voices. The localism lens is also applied through key questions like, ‘Who are the people involved in curating or creating that content,’ ‘Who are the people reviewing that content,’ and ‘How are we getting local experts involved at every stage?’ ‘How do we make the content relevant for the learner in that context?’”
Those are the questions Hirani continues to ask as we identify more prospective CAN partners and expand our curricular offerings through digital learning.
“We have an amazing, organically growing community of learners,” he said. “We are always looking for more partners who share our commitment to be able to leverage data and AI for social good, who also share a commitment to create open resources and if there are partners who have created resources and they want to make them accessible to a global community, we would love to talk to them.”
These partners and programs are a powerful force multiplier, exponentially increasing the number of people trained and engaged. These new purpose-driven data practitioners are part of an emerging global workforce, bolstered by data.org’s march to one million.
To learn more about how to join or support data.org’s community of capacity leaders, visit www.data.org/initiatives.
About this Author
Priyank Hirani is the Director of Capacity Building at data.org, where he strategizes and implements initiatives to democratize data skills and enable social impact organizations to be data-driven
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