"Recent legislation on data linking national security and cybersecurity undermines the creation of a trustworthy data environment. Restrictions on information flows have immediate and medium-term costs to digital economic activity, which in turn have knock-on effects for the prospect of any subseque
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nt tax revenue. Extended economic instability is the main limiting factor for the growth of a digital society, but other limiting factors can be alleviated with mild targeted reform. A new policy agenda is required for the state to aid Zimbabweans to improve their life-chances, livelihoods and wellbeing with digital means. A policy framework to create enduring, affordable access through infrastructure extension and reliable connectivity can allow Zimbabweans to trade their goods and services online. These actions can help realise the principles of the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms and facilitate Zimbabweans innovating within the global digital economy." (Key points)
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"Trends towards greater transparency of platforms, in the form of extending cooperation around data, offer benefit to the interests of all stakeholders. This policy brief considers the normative, institutional and technical mechanisms that support access to datasets that are not accessible generally
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but have public interest value. The analysis below maps the general trends and issues, then proceeds to assess the separate cases of journalists’ safety and media viability, and concludes with recommendations." (Abstract)
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"This desk review report provides an overview of data governance in Africa, exploring policy frameworks, implementation challenges, regional collaborations, capacity building, governmental initiatives, civil society engagement, and academia's role. The continent's increasing reliance on digital syst
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ems has spurred a surge in data production, necessitating robust governance frameworks. While progress is evident with the enactment of data protection laws and establishment of regulatory bodies, implementation challenges persist due to resource constraints and political complexities.
Regional collaborations within Africa, particularly among East African Community (EAC), Southern African Development Community (SADC), and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), manifest a collective recognition of the importance of data governance. These collaborations offer guidance and promote policy enactments, shaping data protection laws and enhancing responsible data practices across member states.
Amidst the evolving data governance landscape, capacity building emerges as a critical aspect, spotlighting the need for nurturing skills in data management, analysis, and ethics. Challenges within educational infrastructure and workforce training gaps present barriers in fostering a skilled workforce capable of effective data governance practices.
Initiatives on data governance take on several forms notably through government endeavours such as the implementation of pivotal systems like the Health Management Information System, Integrated Revenue Administration System and Labour Market Information System among others. Furthermore, Civil Society Initiatives, including efforts from various organisations advocating for data privacy and open data, and initiatives in academia, such as Education Management Information Systems, significantly contribute to advancing ethical data practices and transparent data access." (Executive summary)
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"The collection, processing, storage and circulation of data are fundamental element of contemporary societies. While the positivistic literature on ‘data revolution’ finds it essential for improving development delivery, critical data studies stress the threats of datafication. In this article,
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we demonstrate that datafication has been happening continuously through history, driven by political and economic pressures. We use historical examples to show how resource and personal data were extracted, accumulated and commodified by colonial empires, national governments and trade organizations, and argue that similar extractive processes are a present-day threat in the Global South. We argue that the decoupling of earlier and current datafication processes obscures the underlying, complex power dynamics of datafication. Our historical perspective shows how, once aggregated, data may become imperishable and can be appropriated for problematic purposes in the long run by both public and private entities. Using historical case studies, we challenge the current regulatory approaches that view data as a commodity and frame it instead as a mobile, non-perishable, yet ideally inalienable right of people." (Abstract)
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"This Policy Brief examines the different ways in which big data collection serves autocratic agendas by hiding the oppressive potential of heightened surveillance through promises of enhanced safety, convenience, and modernisation. Political actors with autocratic agendas can package their governan
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ce agenda via these promises of big data to bolster their legitimacy as leaders and avoid backlash for their invasive policies. The paper explores case studies illustrating that in some cases citizens welcome or do not object to invasive policies when autocrats frame the collection of private information as enhancing citizen safety and convenience. The paper then unpacks how the narrative push for digital solutionism and technology optimism unwittingly serves autocratic agendas. Finally, recommendations are provided for policymakers and civil society organisations seeking to resist the sinister alliance of big data and autocratic repression or what some have rightfully called, “digital dictatorships.'' Understanding the facets of big data that make them a crucial cog in autocratic governance can better aid civil society organisations and multilateral democratic institutions to combat the threat of data-driven autocracy." (Abstract)
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"This volume highlights some of the alternative models that have originated in two major Asian democracies, India and South Korea. It compares these two countries’ distinctive approaches through case studies that demonstrate just how much more complex the world will be than the common-place predic
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tion of a battle between U.S.- and Chinese-centric approaches." (Introduction, page 2)
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"The aim of this Open Science and Peacebuilding Toolkit is to provide an open, living collection of resources for innovation hubs operating in conflict or post-conflict environments, creating a joint framework for open science and peacebuilding in action. It seeks to enable makerspaces across the wo
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rld to contribute to sustainable development by becoming key players in creating circular economy structures. The toolkit is an open source document. It provides resources appropriate to communities at various levels of development and supports innovators in a range of sectors & throughout the entrepreneurial life cycle." (Introd, page 3)
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"Internet access is exploding around the world. In the 10 years up to 2021, the proportion of people around the world with access to the internet grew from 33 to 63%, and by 2022 the number of active social media users hit 4.62 billion. Policymakers and opinion formers have an opportunity to tap int
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o the wealth of digital media intelligence that is created and to use that intelligence to advance a sustainable development agenda. But like any research practice, gathering digital media intelligence has its challenges. In this briefing we describe some of the pitfalls and how to avoid them, drawing on examples from a partnership between IIED and Marble Global, a digital research consultancy that works with organisations seeking to affect positive change." (Page 1)
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"The goal of this Data Governance Toolkit is to guide non-profit organizations through the steps and best practices for implementing Data Governance within your organization, while keeping in mind the changing organization IT landscape, enterprise architecture and program deliverables. To support or
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ganizations, reach their goal of capacity building in Data and Analysis, this toolkit guides you through a Framework to implementing Data Governance that includes template policies, roles, roadmaps and KPIs." (Purpose of this toolkit, page 3)
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"What constitutes a data practice and how do contemporary digital media technologies reconfigure our understanding of practices in general? Autonomously acting media, distributed digital infrastructures, and sensor-based media environments challenge the conditions of accounting for data practices bo
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th theoretically and empirically. Which forms of cooperation are constituted in and by data practices? And how are human and nonhuman agencies distributed and interrelated in data-saturated environments? The volume collects theoretical, empirical, and historiographical contributions from a range of international scholars to shed light on the current shift from media to data practices." (Publisher description)
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"DataFest Africa is an annual event that seeks to celebrate data use in the region by bringing together a variety of stakeholders of diverse backgrounds such as government, civil society, academics, students and private industry experts under one roof and theme. Since 2019, Pollicy, with support fro
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m partners, has been organising DataFest, an annual celebration of data that has so far transformed from a Kampala edition (DataFest Kampala) to an African regional edition (DataFest Africa). DataFest Africa continues to bring together data enthusiasts, Civil Society Organisations, Government, private sector and more to discuss trends on data across the continent. The biggest so far, the 3rd edition of DataFest (now DataFest Africa) held under the theme: "Data Futures: Big Data, Little Data, and Everything in Between'' was a hybrid event that attracted a wide range of participants and stakeholders. The month-long edition started on June 10th to July 17th. We welcomed a total of 716 participants from 3 countries, a steady increase in our community, which has more than tripled since our first ever edition in 2019. This report is a reflection of key outcomes, numbers and impact of the 2022 edition of DataFest Africa." (Introduction)
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"This publication is the last of four reports from a regional study completed in 2021 and funded by the technical assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Policy Advice for COVID-19 Economic Recovery in Southeast Asia. The project supports the recovery efforts of Southeast Asian countries t
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o return to their economic performance before the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. It also assists countries in preparing for national, regional, or global transformations that may take place post-COVID-19. The focus countries are Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand, which tapped ADB's COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery Option facility. The study produced four reports on the following thematic areas: 1. Supporting post-COVID-19 economic recovery in Southeast Asia. 2. Strengthening domestic resource mobilization in Southeast Asia. 3. Implementing a green recovery in Southeast Asia. 4. Harnessing the potential of big data in post-pandemic Southeast Asia." (Foreword)
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