Open Data - Al Kags — Strategist, Social Entrepreneur, Writer

November 6, 2023

Thoughts from the Data Festival (1): Power of Definitions in Data work

I travelled 40 hours from Nairobi to Uruguay to attend the first Data Festival after COVID-19. The event underscored how the world seems to have paused for those three years since 2020. On day zero, I attended a couple of exciting sessions. The first was co-organized ...

September 27, 2023

Part Three: Citizen-Generated Data must be kept true to its essence – the role of National Statistical Organisations

In response to my last two blog posts (this one and this one), I have been asked what role I think National Statistical Organisations play in citizen-generated data. Here goes. In the dynamic world of data, where each number and statistic carries a narrative, it is ...

September 25, 2023

Part Two: Citizen-Generated Data must be kept true to its essence – and be kept in its definition.

The Nuance of "Citizen-Generated Data": Why It's More Than Just "Citizen Contributions to Data" and "Citizen Data" In my last post, I argued that Citizen-Generated Data should be kept true to its essence that it is by Citizens and for Citizens. I have read some discussions ...

September 15, 2023

Citizen-Generated Data must be kept true to its essence: for citizens by citizens

In an ever-evolving world, the dynamic between citizens and governments is taking new forms. One such development is citizen-generated data, a concept becoming pivotal in the socio-political space. It's essential to think about its true essence. While it has gained traction with the established structures, ...

February 28, 2023

Administrative Data and the end of Government Statistics as we know it?

On the sidelines of the UN Statistical Commission meeting in New York, at the Collaborative on Administrative Data for Statistics, I saw the government of the future coming ever closer and faster. Here is my prediction. Yesterday, I attended a lunch meeting on the Collaborative on ...

March 8, 2022

The barriers to citizen engagement

The Open Institute works in two main ways as regards government - citizen relations. First, we promote proactive government transparency and second, we work with citizen groups and CSOs to foster active citizenship. Government transparency has in the past decade been achieved, to some level of success, by ...

April 9, 2020

Data Governance: We must be careful how data is used in fighting COVID

Originally published in the Standard, April 3, 2020 Times of crisis require difficult trade-offs between competing public interests. On one hand for example, the government has announced a curfew as a means to working to halt the spread the COVID-19 virus, and on the other, there ...

August 26, 2016

Last year, I attended the very successful Africa Open Data Conference and there I said some things that I was later told are unpopular within the Open Data industry - particularly in the civil society. On reflection, I find that I still stand by what ...

June 16, 2014

Essential Question: Can Open Government Really Change the World?

I have just started the six-week academic sessions of the Washington Fellowship at the Arizona State University. During this time, I shall spend my time learning and considering many aspects of civic leadership and most of all, I shall be considering an essential question, which is ...

February 22, 2014

Open Data Day Kenya a major success!

Open Data Day Kenya was a huge success. I am so proud of the Open Institute Community team (Led by Simeon Oriko - pic left) who coordinated with volunteers and communities in three cities - Kisumu, Mombasa and Nairobi. So many great outcomes that will ...

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