Challenges on data collaboration during disaster response and development work in multi-org settings. Talk given for the Beirut Blast conference organized by Open Map Lebanon.

1. Data Collaboration
Why can’t we play together?

2. Back in 2006

4. Progress in 14 years
● Consortiums and communities of practice
● Standards for data sharing
● Platforms and tools

5. Why is it so hard?
Streamlined data collaboration remains an elusive ideal
● Centralized platforms rarely
work for diverse, multi-org
collaborations
● Interoperability over
standards requires upfront
investment that rarely
happens
● Mandated approaches
don’t tend to work for small
organizations

6. The tip of the iceberg
Harmonizing structure and formats is the last hurdle to overcome… but typically the first thing we
tend to try to solve.
data structure
data format

7. The flow layer
Before solving format and structure, we need to understand how data needs to flow.
data structure
data format
synchronization
one-way bidirectional

8. The agreement layer
But even before that, we have to agree on data governance and privacy protection.
data structure
data format
privacy
governance
synchronization
one-way bidirectional

9. The goals layer
But everything lacks direction before we determine the needs. What are we trying to achieve?
data structure
data format
privacy
governance
synchronization
one-way bidirectional
coordinationawareness
collaboration goal

10. Putting it all together
Goal determines, governance, which
determines sync strategy, which determines
best ways to adjust schema
data structure
data format
privacy
governance
synchronization
one-way bidirectional
awareness coordination
collaboration goal

11. data structure
data format
privacy
governance
synchronization
one-way bidirectional
awareness coordination
collaboration goal
Align incentives, be transparent about
needs and constraints

12. data structure
data format
privacy
governance
synchronization
one-way bidirectional
awareness coordination
collaboration goal
Build privacy-first, evolve a clear
governance, put it in simple written terms
and refer to it when making decisions

13. data structure
data format
privacy
governance
synchronization
one-way bidirectional
awareness coordination
collaboration goal
Design a synchronization strategy that
follows your collaboration goals and agreed
governance; there’s no silver-bullet

14. data structure
data format
privacy
governance
synchronization
one-way bidirectional
awareness coordination
collaboration goal
Figure out a unique identifier, then slowly
and progressively add fields as needed

15. data structure
data format
privacy
governance
synchronization
one-way bidirectional
awareness coordination
collaboration goal
Figure out a unique identifier, then slowly
and progressively add fields as needed
Design a synchronization strategy that
follows your collaboration goals and agreed
governance; there’s no silver-bullet
Build privacy-first, evolve a clear
governance, put it in simple written terms
and refer to it when making decisions
Align incentives, be transparent about
needs and constraints

16. Thank you!
Nicolás di Tada
nditada@instedd.org
@nditada