March 2-8, 2024, marks the annual celebration of Open Data Week, a celebration of data that's aimed at raising awareness and building a community to engage on topics related to research data management, sharing, preservation, reuse, and research data services. The Open Data Week purpose is an annual celebration of open data all over the world.
WaTech's state Open Data Program is hosting two events
Future-proofing your data ethics
March 6, 2024 from Noon-12:50 p.m.
Please join Cathi Greenwood, WaTech's state Open Data Program Manager, for her presentation on the importance of data ethics in organizations, focusing on the current efforts to use demographic data responsibly and for positive purposes. Cathi's presentation raises questions about future scenarios such as changes in leadership, organizational needs, or external pressures, which could impact how data is used. The presentation aims to explore strategies that can be implemented now to ensure that collected data does not harm the individuals it is meant to benefit in the future. Cathi is passionate about making data available and usable by the people Washington state serves. She is dedicated to ensuring that the public can access and use their own data effectively. Cathi supports organizations in sharing high-quality data in a responsible manner through guidelines, training, and best practices. When not working, she volunteers in mediation services, and enjoys sewing, crocheting, and playing board games.
(Watch recording here) (Slide Deck)
Expanding Open Data Through Community Supported Dashboards
March 7, 2024 from Noon-12:50 p.m.
Join Warren Wessling, Data Governance Manager for the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) for his presentation on how the state has been able to take large datasets (such as the American Community Survey and Census data) and combined them with internal, administrative data to create publicly-available dashboards that supports community decision-making. Warren works for DCYF’s Office of Innovation, Alignment & Accountability, the research/analytics arm of the agency. Warren believes strongly in government transparency, and that open data is a mechanism for supporting this effort. He is 10-year U.S. Army veteran and just reached 10-years of service with the state of Washington. Outside of work Warren and his wife of 20-years raise teenagers who are almost full-time drivers and they manage a farmstead where they raise livestock and poultry utilizing permaculture and sustainability practices.