Big Data to Open Data: Key Ingredients for Civic Technology and Social Innovation

"Big Data to Open Data: Key Ingredients for Civic Technology and Social Innovation" is a session to be held during the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2018 (FIFAfrica18): Growing Africa’s Community of Internet Freedom Leaders, which will take place in Accra, Ghana, September 27th to 28th 2018.

The session's topic is detailed as follow.

As reliance on technology grows, so does the immense opportunity for its use in enabling civic technology platforms and social innovations. For both, their full potential can best be realised when data held by public bodies is more proactively released in formats that can be easily utilised. This session will explore the value of data in policy development through to creating relevant and responsive social solutions, civic technology interventions, business products and viable e-governance systems. The session will question the role of open data and unfettered access to the internet play in advancing private sector and civil society’s actions to strengthen the sustainability of African economies and societies. We also explore how ICT is spurring social innovations both online and offline. Further, we seek to understand what information gaps civic technology faces in developing responsive solutions and platforms - and how to address these gaps.