By Michael Cañares At the core of the data empowerment discussion is data. In our previous posts, we defined what we meant by data empowerment, provided three examples where we saw how data empowerment happens in practice, and outlined concrete steps to ensure that data empowers people. Implicit in these…

By Andreas Pawelke & Richard Heeks A new way to empower? Data powered positive deviance (DPPD) is a method that relies on both traditional and non-traditional data to identify grassroots solutions to complex development problems, such as deforestation, food insecurity and gender-based violence.

By Michael Cañares Recently, while lining up in a vaccination center where I live, I overheard a woman ask a healthcare frontliner what type of vaccine was on offer that day. The worker replied, “We don’t know until it comes, and it does not matter. …

By Andreas Pawelke Winning six championships between 1991 and 1998, the 1990s Chicago Bulls were one of the most successful teams in US sports history. …

By Michael Cañares In our last post, we discussed the importance of having control over our data. Others, meanwhile, have championed the competing model of data ownership. Here, we outline why control, not ownership, provides the surest path towards data empowerment. Ownership Versus Control Ownership relates to a full legal claim on property…

By Michael Cañares In our last post, we discussed the importance of having control over our data. Others, meanwhile, have championed the competing model of data ownership. Here, we outline why control, not ownership, provides the surest path towards data empowerment. Ownership Versus Control Ownership relates to a full legal claim on property…

By Andreas Pawelke So far we’ve looked at how access to data can empower people and argued that ensuring people have actionable data is even more critical in the ‘trying times’ we find ourselves in. In this post, we’re diving deeper into the question of how to exercise control over…

By Michael Cañares For several months, all has been quiet on the data empowerment blog. Like the rest of the world, we were shocked when the pandemic hit. We put down our pencils, paused our publication schedule and spent time rethinking the topics we wanted to cover. COVID-19 changed everything. …

By Andreas Pawelke In our first two posts we outlined an initial definition of the data empowerment concept and discussed three practical examples of data empowerment. In this post we’re looking at ways to ‘do’ data empowerment. …