Mission Responsible #15

Welcome to a new issue of the Mission: Responsible newsletter! This month we wanted to share a few takeaways from a recent Community Call about Responsible Data, which The Engine Room hosted with Ugandan organisation, Albinism Umbrella.

The call included speakers Amos Doornbos and former Engine Roomer Paola Verhaert and brought together a variety of civil society organisations interested in collecting, managing, and storing data in equitable and responsible ways. Here’s a quick look at some of the points we discussed:

Starting from the top: figuring out what data you are using

During the call, Amos pointed out that it is best for organisations to start by identifying the ways they are using data. He introduced a few guiding questions (such as ‘What data is being collected and why?’, ‘Who is collecting it?’, ‘Where is it stored and who is it shared with?’), as well as this short Cheat sheet.

Responsible data as an organisation-wide priority

Our speakers also talked about how important it can be for the whole organisation (and if possible, also the organisation’s partners and the communities they work with) to be involved in conversations about potential risks and harms related to the data the organisation collects, stores and works with.

Mitigating risk and potential harm

Much of our conversation focused on the importance of assessing how the data we work with could generate or exacerbate risks for the people reflected in the data. Our speakers shared the following resources to support teams in reflecting on potential risks and harms: 

• Identifying Potential Data Risks and Harms

• Data Sharing Cheat Sheet 

We also talked about how practising data minimisation – that is minimising the amount and the categories of data you collect – can be a good strategy to prevent potential harm. If the data you collect does not serve a purpose for your work, consider deleting it and/or not collecting it all.

Being specific and realistic with your data management goals 

Another suggestion that came up in the call is to avoid broad and abstract recommendations and processes when implementing responsible data practices in your organisation. Paola Verhaert highlighted how important it is to make them clear and practical, so that they can be implemented easily. 

For a detailed overview of the call and links to resources that were shared, take a look at our blog post summarising main takeaways from the conversation.

Community updates

That is it for today. Get in touch with us at hello@responsibledata.io if there is anything you’d like to see featured in this newsletter in the future or if you have any questions for us.

Have a great month ahead,

The Engine Room.

This month’s issue of Mission Responsible was crafted by Alicja Peszkowska, Responsible Data Community Manager.