Courageous Change for Change Makers

In this episode I chat with Mo Ali about racism in the aid sector and what we do about it.Mo's organisation - AidworksMo's Anti-racism courseArticle on Racism in Aid SurveyNew Humanitarian ArticlesDecolonising AidThe Emotional Toll of Speaking UpBook - How to be an Antiracist 

When digital transformation is relegated to the IT department, we have abdicated our responsibilities and do not understand digital or transformation.

This week I had the privilege of having a conversation with Ken Banks. Ken has spent over 25 years working in and around humanitarian aid. He is the founder of FrontlineSMS and now works for Yoti as their Head of Social Purpose. In this episode we talk about Yoti’s recent social purpose report, their Guardian council, and what he has been learning.(the first version of this episode had audio problems) 

This episode continues to talk about how bias enters our datasets and decision making.  This time through stories, particularly the stories we tell ourselves. We tell stories about ourselves, about others, about the world we live.  We believe the stories.  We believe them to be true.

Data doesn't lie, it is facts.  Right?  Well, it tells a story, a perspective, but not the whole truth. Data has bias encoded in it.  In this episode I outline 5 ways bias gets inHumanitarian Data Science and Ethics Group

This week I had the privilege of having a conversation with Linda Raftree about the Responsible Data Maturity Model she created with CARE USA.  Here are two links to the Responsible Data Maturity Model we discussed:Linda’s article about Responsible Data Maturity ModelCARE’s Responsible Data Maturity ModelHere are links to other things we discussed in the podcast:DataKind Data Maturity ModelResponsible Data ForumMERL techTechSalonLastly, here are links to connect with Linda:Linda’s websiteLinda on Twitter - @meowtree

We're often told change will be smooth, but in reality it's full of bumps, curves, and potholes.  In this episode I explore some of these in responsible data practices.Here's a link to a review of ‘secure communication platforms‘. 

We're back!  ​This next season will focus on digital transformation, responsible data, digital literacy and everything wrapped up in this.  ​Season 3 starts with some fun and creativity.  Alphabet books are common in houses with young children and primary schools.  So this episode uses  the idea of an Alphabet book to unpack responsible data.  Enjoy!The text of this episode can be read on two blog posts - A-M and N-Z

In this episode I explore how going digital can perpetuate inequalities in society.

In the ‘have to’ space, we tend to seek the minimum, the letter of the law. “Tell me what the requirement is, so I can meet it and move on.” In this episode, I explore what is might look like if consent was a desirable. If it was something we wanted to do and sought after it.

When is data ‘mine’? When it is about me? Like most things, ownership is likely some sort of spectrum. In this episode I explore a few different ways of thinking about ownership and how that might impact how we view data ownership.

Digital data sharing is not about system interoperability as much as it is about data governance. Governance is the hard part and often messy. In this episodes, I talk through 5 factors to work through when thinking about the governance required for wise data sharing.

Sharing data seems like a no brainer in the midst of a disaster and it happens all the time. Sharing data between organisations can be very helpful, efficient, make many people’s lives easier, and even be expected. It can also be scary, cause harm, and be risky. In this episode I share some of the things to consider before sharing data.

As we go digital, we collect more and more data,  partly because we can, but hopefully we are collecting it with a purpose.

Here are few links to additional information about Trusts.- The Data Trust Option- https://cdn.southampton.ac.uk/assets/imported/transforms/content-block/UsefulDownloads_Download/0326D18DCC9E4BD08816BB5F994FCA76/White%20Papers%20No1.pdf- https://www.cigionline.org/articles/what-data-trust- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stJOdkZ4gK8 

We often think efficiency reduces waste, but what happens when it creates waste? Is it still efficient? Can it be both? It depends who it is for. Being clear on who it is for or who answers the question has implications on how we design our work.

We capture data everywhere and it can be used to improve our lives or it can be used to control us. As we continue to create longer digital trails and footprints, our data can be used to benefit our lives. However, we get upset when the companies use our data for purposes we don’t agree with.

In Yemen, we decided it was ok to withhold food from starving people because they did not want to give us their biometrics. In Latin America, we decided it was ok to not tell all the youth we were working with that we were passing all of their data to the US gov’t. How did we get here? Where did we go wrong?

In this episode, I continue to unpack and discuss the long term implications of WFP’s ultimatum in Yemen. This time, I have the joy of talking with Linnet Taylor and Aaron Martin of the Global Data Justice Project at the Tilburg Law School in the Netherlands. Many humanitarian agencies are going more and more digital with the hope that technology will help them achieve greater impact at a lower cost. This combined with other forces is changing humanitarian aid as we used to know it and agencies are facing new decisions and trade offs. The ultimatum issued by WFP in the very complex context of Yemen is an example of this. We unpack some of the complexities of the situation, but also identify questions humanitarian agencies of all sizes need to be asking as they go more digital. Links from the show: Global Data Justice Project Dr. Linnet Taylor Aaron Martin, Phd. UK’s  Information Commissioner’s (ICO) guidance on use of Legitimate interest Articles on the situation in Yemen: New Humanitarian BBC article Reuters Article Global Data Justice

In this episode I discuss with Sean McDonald the challenges and complexities of humanitarian agencies becoming more digital. We explicitly discuss the WFP ultimatum to the Houthi communities in Yemen. Here are a few links to articles about the situation in Yemen: New Humanitarian BBC article Reuters Article Global Data Justice To find out more about my guest, Sean McDonald, visit: His website (going live in July 2019) FrontlineSMS Digital Public Twitter