This document provides guidance on mapping civic tech and data ecosystems. It discusses choosing a purpose, scope, data collection methodology, and mapping software. The document also covers key steps like analyzing the ecosystem map to identify gaps, opportunities for collaboration, and areas for growth. The overall goal is to help groups strengthen relationships and identify shared priorities through the mapping process.
Rubrix is a biannual newsletter with brief analytical pieces which covers recent national policies and other emerging issues affecting the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore.
Highlights:
1. The Social Sector and its Data Imperative
2. Design Thinking for the Social Good
3. Beyond Academics: Fostering 21st Century Competencies in Young Children
4. The Importance of Critical Thinking in Future Proofing our Early Learners
5. Dawn of the Smart Nation
6. Post-Budget Policy Forum: Stronger Together, Forging Ahead
If you took a Geography course over 20 years ago, you might recall the subject involving little more than memorizing the locations of continents, countries, cities, as well as climate and cultural facts. In that time, many universities have expanded their geography programs by entering the world of Geographic Information Systems, or GIS for short. In the beginning GIS was an obscure field of specialized hardware, software, and cryptic keyboard commands that allowed a skilled professional to query data to get answers to geographic-based inquiries. Queries, such as the quantity of forested acres within an area, were the beginning of the geographicbased analysis revolution that has since unfolded. But today’s leading geography programs are teaching students more than just the where, what, who, and why of our world, but also bring to the table an interdisciplinary approach to solving today’s local, regional, national, and global problems. Many of these programs are not limited to just universities, now involving the K-12 space, tapping into young people’s minds to unleash innovative ideas in what is now an interdisciplinary field. To maintain a competitive advantage in today’s world, leading countries, companies, and research organizations are embracing these new capabilities and the talent that is available in the marketplace.
This toolkit provides the methodology for focusing the data-gathering power of existing communities, increasing their capacity to work together and building awareness of the potential of the data created by this work. It aims to help citizens identify and articulate their own problems using the supplementing data in their communities.
ICMA has partnered with SAS, a data management software and services company, to develop a new report that brings the power of data analytics and smart community practices to local governments worldwide. By downloading this report, local leaders will gain insight on how the economic, environmental, and social benefits of smart community practices can be realized on a global scale. When activated, these practices help local governments make informed decisions across such operational sectors as public safety, energy, transportation, purchasing, public health, transportation, land use, water and wastewater, environmental quality, and more.
Rubrix is a biannual newsletter with brief analytical pieces which covers recent national policies and other emerging issues affecting the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore.
Highlights:
1. The Social Sector and its Data Imperative
2. Design Thinking for the Social Good
3. Beyond Academics: Fostering 21st Century Competencies in Young Children
4. The Importance of Critical Thinking in Future Proofing our Early Learners
5. Dawn of the Smart Nation
6. Post-Budget Policy Forum: Stronger Together, Forging Ahead
If you took a Geography course over 20 years ago, you might recall the subject involving little more than memorizing the locations of continents, countries, cities, as well as climate and cultural facts. In that time, many universities have expanded their geography programs by entering the world of Geographic Information Systems, or GIS for short. In the beginning GIS was an obscure field of specialized hardware, software, and cryptic keyboard commands that allowed a skilled professional to query data to get answers to geographic-based inquiries. Queries, such as the quantity of forested acres within an area, were the beginning of the geographicbased analysis revolution that has since unfolded. But today’s leading geography programs are teaching students more than just the where, what, who, and why of our world, but also bring to the table an interdisciplinary approach to solving today’s local, regional, national, and global problems. Many of these programs are not limited to just universities, now involving the K-12 space, tapping into young people’s minds to unleash innovative ideas in what is now an interdisciplinary field. To maintain a competitive advantage in today’s world, leading countries, companies, and research organizations are embracing these new capabilities and the talent that is available in the marketplace.
This toolkit provides the methodology for focusing the data-gathering power of existing communities, increasing their capacity to work together and building awareness of the potential of the data created by this work. It aims to help citizens identify and articulate their own problems using the supplementing data in their communities.
ICMA has partnered with SAS, a data management software and services company, to develop a new report that brings the power of data analytics and smart community practices to local governments worldwide. By downloading this report, local leaders will gain insight on how the economic, environmental, and social benefits of smart community practices can be realized on a global scale. When activated, these practices help local governments make informed decisions across such operational sectors as public safety, energy, transportation, purchasing, public health, transportation, land use, water and wastewater, environmental quality, and more.
Dobson presentation nys geo summit for slidesharemdob
Presentation by Dr. Mike Dobson of TeleMapics LLC on Crowdsourcing and Map Compilation. This invited presentation was delivered at the New York Geospatial Summit on June 16, 2011 in Skaneateles, New York.
Data Innovation: Generating Climate Solutions EventUN Global Pulse
This high-level event will jump-start proceedings of the Sustainable Innovation Forum with discussions and examples of data-driven innovations to accelerate climate solutions and the Sustainable Development Agenda.
Experimenting with Big Data and AI to Support Peace and SecurityUN Global Pulse
UN Global Pulse is working with partners to explore how data from social media and radio shows can inform peace and security efforts in Africa. The methodology, case studies, and tools developed as part of these efforts are detailed in this report.
SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYTICS FOR SENTIMENT ANALYSIS AND EVENT DETECTION IN SMART CI...cscpconf
Smart cities utilize Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensors to enhance the quality of the city
services including energy, transportation, health, and much more. They generate massive
volumes of structured and unstructured data on a daily basis. Also, social networks, such as
Twitter, Facebook, and Google+, are becoming a new source of real-time information in smart
cities. Social network users are acting as social sensors. These datasets so large and complex
are difficult to manage with conventional data management tools and methods. To become
valuable, this massive amount of data, known as 'big data,' needs to be processed and
comprehended to hold the promise of supporting a broad range of urban and smart cities
functions, including among others transportation, water, and energy consumption, pollution
surveillance, and smart city governance. In this work, we investigate how social media analytics
help to analyze smart city data collected from various social media sources, such as Twitter and
Facebook, to detect various events taking place in a smart city and identify the importance of
events and concerns of citizens regarding some events. A case scenario analyses the opinions of
users concerning the traffic in three largest cities in the UAE
Using Data and New Technology for Peacemaking, Preventive Diplomacy, and Peac...UN Global Pulse
This guide offers an overview of e-analytics in the context of peacemaking and preventive diplomacy. It presents a summary of e-analytics tools as well as examples from the peace and security field. It includes a data project planning matrix that aims to help facilitate and motivate data-driven analysis. Part of the guide is a glossary on basic terminology related to new technologies.
This report was prepared for the City of Syracuse by a Masters of Public Administration class at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. The team consisted of Jinsol Park, Dan Petrick, Krishna Kesari, Sarah Baumunk, and was overseen by Jesse Lecy.
This report was prepared for the City of Syracuse by a Masters of Public Administration class at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. The team consisted of Jinsol Park, Dan Petrick, Krishna Kesari, Sarah Baumunk, and was overseen by Jesse Lecy.
February 2014 update: Since publishing our original report in December, 2013, we've received dozens of emails from peers in the budding civic tech community proposing additions. On Feb. 26, we released an updated version of the civic tech investment analysis, which includes an additional 34 companies and $265 million of investment. Find out more at http://kng.ht/1cPi3Ar.
Investments by private capital funders and foundations in technology that spurs citizen engagement, improves cities and makes governments more effective is growing significantly, with more than $430 million going to the field between January 2011 and May 2013, according to a major report released today by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The first report of its kind, “The Emergence of Civic Tech: Investments in a Growing Field,” provides an in-depth analysis of the current state of private capital and foundation investments in civic technology. It aims to help organizations and investors better understand civic tech funding, so that they can strengthen their work and help shape the field. The analysis applies a new approach to research and advances the use of data in the social sector; it showcases an interactive data visualization map that allows users to explore investments across multiple areas of civic tech. Find out more at www.knightfoundation.org/features/civictech
Dobson presentation nys geo summit for slidesharemdob
Presentation by Dr. Mike Dobson of TeleMapics LLC on Crowdsourcing and Map Compilation. This invited presentation was delivered at the New York Geospatial Summit on June 16, 2011 in Skaneateles, New York.
Data Innovation: Generating Climate Solutions EventUN Global Pulse
This high-level event will jump-start proceedings of the Sustainable Innovation Forum with discussions and examples of data-driven innovations to accelerate climate solutions and the Sustainable Development Agenda.
Experimenting with Big Data and AI to Support Peace and SecurityUN Global Pulse
UN Global Pulse is working with partners to explore how data from social media and radio shows can inform peace and security efforts in Africa. The methodology, case studies, and tools developed as part of these efforts are detailed in this report.
SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYTICS FOR SENTIMENT ANALYSIS AND EVENT DETECTION IN SMART CI...cscpconf
Smart cities utilize Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensors to enhance the quality of the city
services including energy, transportation, health, and much more. They generate massive
volumes of structured and unstructured data on a daily basis. Also, social networks, such as
Twitter, Facebook, and Google+, are becoming a new source of real-time information in smart
cities. Social network users are acting as social sensors. These datasets so large and complex
are difficult to manage with conventional data management tools and methods. To become
valuable, this massive amount of data, known as 'big data,' needs to be processed and
comprehended to hold the promise of supporting a broad range of urban and smart cities
functions, including among others transportation, water, and energy consumption, pollution
surveillance, and smart city governance. In this work, we investigate how social media analytics
help to analyze smart city data collected from various social media sources, such as Twitter and
Facebook, to detect various events taking place in a smart city and identify the importance of
events and concerns of citizens regarding some events. A case scenario analyses the opinions of
users concerning the traffic in three largest cities in the UAE
Using Data and New Technology for Peacemaking, Preventive Diplomacy, and Peac...UN Global Pulse
This guide offers an overview of e-analytics in the context of peacemaking and preventive diplomacy. It presents a summary of e-analytics tools as well as examples from the peace and security field. It includes a data project planning matrix that aims to help facilitate and motivate data-driven analysis. Part of the guide is a glossary on basic terminology related to new technologies.
This report was prepared for the City of Syracuse by a Masters of Public Administration class at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. The team consisted of Jinsol Park, Dan Petrick, Krishna Kesari, Sarah Baumunk, and was overseen by Jesse Lecy.
This report was prepared for the City of Syracuse by a Masters of Public Administration class at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. The team consisted of Jinsol Park, Dan Petrick, Krishna Kesari, Sarah Baumunk, and was overseen by Jesse Lecy.
February 2014 update: Since publishing our original report in December, 2013, we've received dozens of emails from peers in the budding civic tech community proposing additions. On Feb. 26, we released an updated version of the civic tech investment analysis, which includes an additional 34 companies and $265 million of investment. Find out more at http://kng.ht/1cPi3Ar.
Investments by private capital funders and foundations in technology that spurs citizen engagement, improves cities and makes governments more effective is growing significantly, with more than $430 million going to the field between January 2011 and May 2013, according to a major report released today by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The first report of its kind, “The Emergence of Civic Tech: Investments in a Growing Field,” provides an in-depth analysis of the current state of private capital and foundation investments in civic technology. It aims to help organizations and investors better understand civic tech funding, so that they can strengthen their work and help shape the field. The analysis applies a new approach to research and advances the use of data in the social sector; it showcases an interactive data visualization map that allows users to explore investments across multiple areas of civic tech. Find out more at www.knightfoundation.org/features/civictech
Data ecosystems: turning data into public valueSlim Turki, Dr.
Africa Information Highway Live Exchange #Session 7
8 October 2021
The AIH Live Exchange between the Africa Information Highway Team, partners and countries is a free monthly webinar hosted by the African Development Bank to discuss topics related to government data and statistics. This webinar series is the main platform for countries to share their experiences and best practices around open data including using their Open Data Platform of the AIH.
This session is co-organized with the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) which is a mission-driven Research and Technology Organization (RTO) that develops advanced technologies and delivers innovative products and services to industry and society. These innovations can also be used to solve several societal challenges, particularly in the areas of the environment, security, education and culture, sustainable development, as well as the efficient use of resources.
Official statistical data are recognized as high-value datasets for the society and economy, to enrich research, inform decision making or develop new products and services. The use of these authoritative data sources contributes to building a society with more empowered people, better policies, more effective and accountable decision-making, greater participation and stronger democratic mechanisms.
Official statistics are produced to be used and re-used to make an impact on society through a higher degree of openness and transparency while ensuring confidentiality and, at the same time, providing equal access to information to citizens.
The value of data lies in its use and re-use. In this interactive webinar, you will learn new techniques to improve the use and re-use of your statistical data, going beyond the provision logic and adopting the ecosystem mindset. You will:
● Sharpen your capacity at identifying and engaging users and re-users and stakeholders (data ecosystem mapping)?
● Effectively tackle technical and organizational barriers to stimulate data use and re-use?
● Smartly orchestrate a self-sustainable data ecosystem to increase the impact of statistical data.
This session is an opportunity for Regional members countries to '' Sharpen their skills in making data used and re-used by developing an ecosystem mindset to effectively build sustainable community of users around their Open Data Platform thus promoting transparency and better decision-making”
A Tale of Open Data Innovations in Five Smart CitiesAdegboyega Ojo
Open Data initiatives are increasingly considered as defining elements of emerging smart cities. However, few studies have attempted to provide a better understanding of the nature of this convergence and the impact on both domains. This paper presents findings from a detailed study of 18 open data initiatives across five smart cities – Barcelona, Chicago, Manchester, Amsterdam and Helsinki. Specifically, the study sought to understand how open data programs are shaped by the different smart cities contexts and concomitantly what kinds of innovations are enabled by open data in these cities. The findings highlight the specific impacts of open data innovation on the different smart cities domains, governance of the cities, and the nature of datasets available in the open data ecosystem.
The second of the BDVe series of webinars related to Big Data technologies presents the QROWD project. Elena Simperl (University of Southampton) will provide an overview and technical details on how human interaction and crowdsourcing could help in different steps of the data value chain, from data acquisition to data curation and completion, etc. Examples of how to add human in the loop in the domains of Smart Cities and Smart Transportation will be provided.
The second of the BDVe series of webinars related to Big Data technologies presents the QROWD project. Elena Simperl (University of Southampton) will provide an overview and technical details on how human interaction and crowdsourcing could help in different steps of the data value chain, from data acquisition to data curation and completion, etc. Examples of how to add human in the loop in the domains of Smart Cities and Smart Transportation will be provided.
Volunteered Geographic Information System Design: Project and Participation G...José Pablo Gómez Barrón S.
Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi5070108
Gómez-Barrón, J.-P., Manso-Callejo, M.-Á., Alcarria, R., & Iturrioz, T. (2016). Volunteered Geographic Information System Design: Project and Participation Guidelines. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 5(7), 108.
This article sets forth the early phases of a methodological proposal for designing and developing Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) initiatives based on a system perspective analysis in which the components depend and interact dynamically among each other. First, it focuses on those characteristics of VGI projects that present different goals and modes of organization, while using a crowdsourcing strategy to manage participants and contributions. Next, a tool is developed in order to design the central crowdsourced processing unit that is best suited for a specific project definition, associating it with a trend towards crowd-based or community-driven approaches. The design is structured around the characterization of different ways of participating, and the task cognitive demand of working on geo-information management, spatial problem solving and ideation, or knowledge acquisition. Then, the crowdsourcing process design helps to identify what kind of participants are needed and outline subsequent engagement strategies. This is based on an analysis of differences among volunteers’ participatory behaviors and the associated set of factors motivating them to contribute, whether on a crowd or community-sourced basis. From a VGI system perspective, this paper presents a set of guidelines and methodological steps in order to align project goals, processes and volunteers and thus successfully attract participation. This methodology helps establish the initial requirements for a VGI system, and, in its current state, it mainly focuses on two components of the system: project and participants.
Living Cities: Innovate > Invest > Lead by Elizabeth ReynosoGigabit City Summit
Living Cities: Innovate > Invest > Lead presented by Elizabeth Reynoso at Gigabit City Summit 2017, begins to answer the question, "How can we harness the power of data and technology to increase efficiency, equity and effectiveness in ways that will benefit the most vulnerable residents in our urban communities?"
Cook County presentation at Chi Hack Night about Cook County data. This presentation was created by Cook County and is being used with permission for the Smart Chicago Blog.
This is my keynote speech for the 2015 Civic Tech Forum being held in Tokyo, Japan. This keynote was translated by Shigeomi Shibata-san from Code for Japan. You can view the notes at CivicWhitaker.com
Slides for keynote speech for Japan's Civic Tech Forum. This slide decks contains an overview of Chicago's Civic Innovation Ecosystem and how it takes collaboration from both government agencies, non-profit foundations, civic technology startups, and community activists to make the civic tech ecosystem work.
A process server is a authorized person for delivering legal documents, such as summons, complaints, subpoenas, and other court papers, to peoples involved in legal proceedings.
Jennifer Schaus and Associates hosts a complimentary webinar series on The FAR in 2024. Join the webinars on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, eastern.
Recordings are on YouTube and the company website.
https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferschaus/videos
ZGB - The Role of Generative AI in Government transformation.pdfSaeed Al Dhaheri
This keynote was presented during the the 7th edition of the UAE Hackathon 2024. It highlights the role of AI and Generative AI in addressing government transformation to achieve zero government bureaucracy
Understanding the Challenges of Street ChildrenSERUDS INDIA
By raising awareness, providing support, advocating for change, and offering assistance to children in need, individuals can play a crucial role in improving the lives of street children and helping them realize their full potential
Donate Us
https://serudsindia.org/how-individuals-can-support-street-children-in-india/
#donatefororphan, #donateforhomelesschildren, #childeducation, #ngochildeducation, #donateforeducation, #donationforchildeducation, #sponsorforpoorchild, #sponsororphanage #sponsororphanchild, #donation, #education, #charity, #educationforchild, #seruds, #kurnool, #joyhome
What is the point of small housing associations.pptxPaul Smith
Given the small scale of housing associations and their relative high cost per home what is the point of them and how do we justify their continued existance
Russian anarchist and anti-war movement in the third year of full-scale warAntti Rautiainen
Anarchist group ANA Regensburg hosted my online-presentation on 16th of May 2024, in which I discussed tactics of anti-war activism in Russia, and reasons why the anti-war movement has not been able to make an impact to change the course of events yet. Cases of anarchists repressed for anti-war activities are presented, as well as strategies of support for political prisoners, and modest successes in supporting their struggles.
Thumbnail picture is by MediaZona, you may read their report on anti-war arson attacks in Russia here: https://en.zona.media/article/2022/10/13/burn-map
Links:
Autonomous Action
http://Avtonom.org
Anarchist Black Cross Moscow
http://Avtonom.org/abc
Solidarity Zone
https://t.me/solidarity_zone
Memorial
https://memopzk.org/, https://t.me/pzk_memorial
OVD-Info
https://en.ovdinfo.org/antiwar-ovd-info-guide
RosUznik
https://rosuznik.org/
Uznik Online
http://uznikonline.tilda.ws/
Russian Reader
https://therussianreader.com/
ABC Irkutsk
https://abc38.noblogs.org/
Send mail to prisoners from abroad:
http://Prisonmail.online
YouTube: https://youtu.be/c5nSOdU48O8
Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/libertarianlifecoach/episodes/Russian-anarchist-and-anti-war-movement-in-the-third-year-of-full-scale-war-e2k8ai4
PPT Item # 9 - 2024 Street Maintenance Program(SMP) Amendment
CTDC Ecosystem Mapping Guide
1. Guide to Civic Tech &
Data Ecosystem Mapping
JUNE 2018
Olivia Arena
Urban Institute
Crystal Li
Living Cities
2. 03
05
11
14
07
09
CONTENTS
Introduction to Ecosystem Mapping
Choose a Data-Collection
Methodology and Mapping Software
Key Questions to Ask
before Getting Started
Analyze Your Ecosystem Map
Appendix A – Ecosystem Mapping Tools Analysis
Decide What Data to Collect
1
Guide to Civic Tech & Data Ecosystem Mapping
For more information on the Civic Tech & Data Collaborative visit
livingcities.org/CTDC
3. 2
Living Cities harnesses the collective power of 18 of the world’s largest
foundations and financial institutions to develop and scale new approaches for
creating opportunities for low-income people, particularly people of color, and
improving the cities where they live. Its investments, applied research, networks,
and convenings catalyze fresh thinking and combine support for innovative, local
approaches with real-time sharing of learning to accelerate adoption in more
places. Additional information can be found at www.livingcities.org.
The nonprofit Urban Institute is a leading research organization dedicated to
developing evidence-based insights that improve people’s lives and strengthen
communities. For 50 years, Urban has been the trusted source for rigorous
analysis of complex social and economic issues; strategic advice to policy-
makers, philanthropists, and practitioners; and new, promising ideas that expand
opportunities for all. Our work inspires effective decisions that advance fairness
and enhance the well-being of people and places.
Coordinated by the Urban Institute, the National Neighborhood Indicators
Partnership (NNIP) consists of independent organizations in 32 cities that share
mission to help community stakeholders use neighborhood data for better
decisionmaking, with a focus on assisting organizations and residents in low-
income communities.
Code for America is a national nonprofit that believes government can work for
the people, by the people, in the 21st century. We organize a network of people
who build technology to further local governments’ priorities of creating healthy,
prosperous, and safe communities. Our goal: government services that are
simple, effective, and easy to use, for everyone.
About the National Partners
Guide to Civic Tech & Data Ecosystem Mapping
5. From 2014 to 2018, the Civic Tech and Data
Collaborative (CTDC) brought together local
government officials, civic technologists, and
community data organizations from seven
communities to explore ways to harness
data and technology to benefit low-income
residents. Three national organizations with
local networks—Living Cities, Code for America,
and the National Neighborhood Indicators
Partnership (NNIP)—guided the initiative. To
provide real-world examples and lessons for the
field, local collaboratives in Boston, St. Louis,
and Washington, DC, created products that use
data and technology in new ways to improve
services or programs in their cities. Each
national organization brings its own partnership
to the table: brigades from Code for America,
NNIP from the Urban Institute, and city staff,
including the Project on Municipal Innovation,
from Living Cities.
NNIP organizations, local governments, and
Code for America brigades exist in civic tech
and data ecosystems. Ecosystems are dynamic
networks that emerge through connections
between many actors. For our project, the
CTDC “ecosystems” included interactions
between local actors who use or create
data and technology to improve civic life,
specifically government services and policies
that affect low-income residents. We tasked
seven local collaboratives—Boston, Cleveland,
Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Antonio, Seattle/
King County, and Washington, DC—to become
“ecosystem builders” in their communities. To
better understand, support, and leverage these
local connections, the CTDC used ecosystem
mapping, a process that allows people to
visualize their network and helps foster an
understanding of how each organization in the
community contributed or could contribute to
the collaborative. The culture of trust and new
relationships forged through the CTDC work
and ecosystem exercises increased the flow
of information.
This document provides guidance and examples
from these cities on the value of mapping,
key questions when getting started, different
methods to collect the data, and how to use
and analyze ecosystem maps to strengthen
community relationships.
4
Guide to Civic Tech & Data Ecosystem Mapping
6. An ecosystem map will never capture an entire ecosystem; an ecosystem is a dynamic,
emergent network of many actors, so the civic tech landscapes continuously shift
Envisioning the mapping process as the beginning of a journey, rather than a destination,
can inspire new ideas for collaboration or help uncover areas in need of growth. Beginning
the process with specific intentions can limit the scope and keep the project focused.
Here are some guiding questions to help you get started:
1. What is the purpose?
Ask yourself, why do you want to map an
ecosystem? Ecosystem mapping can produce
a static, snapshot-in-time map; document your
network over time; or form new connections
through the process. Your purpose should guide
your methodology. Perhaps you want to identify
all the potential and current partners in your
city, or maybe you are starting a project and
want to look at how each person or organization
is contributing. Perhaps you want to identify
funding sources and available grants. Establishing
a clear purpose can direct the budget and
timeline for your mapping. It can also keep your
scope from expanding or drifting.
2. What is the scope of your ecosystem map?
Determining what information you want to
include will help you manage the process and
build milestones to show progress, especially
if the ecosystem map is a one-time exercise.
Is there a subject-matter focus? For example,
an ecosystem could be the entire Seattle tech
community or only the groups working in digital
literacy. What is the geographic focus? A clear
and concise intention will pare down and focus
the project’s scope.
II.
Key Questions to Ask
Before Getting Started
Guide to Civic Tech & Data Ecosystem Mapping
5
7. 3. What is your budget and timeline?
Your budget and timeline will shape your
process. You will need to budget for materials,
staff time, activities like a mapping meeting,
and paying for a mapping platform or service.
In determining your logistical parameters, map
outward from your organization. Beginning
with your staff or organization helps identify
networks and inventory relationships. For
organizations working with a limited time
frame or budget, beginning the mapping
process internally offers greater control over
the timeline and scope. The more extensive
and collaborative option is to work with
outside partners. Convening a group to
gather information about your ecosystem or
administering a survey to collect information
on networks can reveal new opportunities for
funding or partnerships. This strategy might
be more expensive and time consuming but
can result in richer information about the
people and organizations in your ecosystem.
Additionally, the mapping process can
be a great opportunity for outreach and
communication with new or potential partners.
For the CTDC, we asked each city to create an
ecosystem map without being too prescriptive
about the purpose or method of data collection
because building an ecosystem map can be
resource intensive. We provided examples of
maps and allowed the cities to decide how they
wanted to explore ecosystem mapping.
Pittsburgh leveraged the collective knowledge
from its Civic Roundtable members and
mapped all the tech, data, and government
organizations in its ecosystem through in-
person activities. San Antonio mapped the
people and organizations that attended
the inaugural Alamo Regional Data Alliance
conference. These two cities had different
scopes for their maps, which changed the
maps’ complexity and use.
That is not to say that the purpose cannot
change. After the end of the grant, the San
Antonio team decided that the mapping
process would be valuable going forward.
Their purpose changed from a map showing
partners in one instance in time to a map that
allowed them to add more organization to
their ecosystem through crowdsourcing
data collection.
Guide to Civic Tech & Data Ecosystem Mapping
6
8. III.
Decide What Data to Collect
The possibilities of mapping can be daunting, but creating intentions and guidelines
for your mapping makes the process manageable. Once you have outlined a goal and
determined your scope, you can gather information. Depending on your purpose, some
data may be more useful than others. Number of funders or grant amounts might be
important to include if your purpose is to identify potential funding streams. Alternatively,
if you are looking to use the map to form a new collaborative, you should include
organizations’ numbers of staff, missions, or existing relationships.
To begin, think about the partnerships and organizations in your network, their
characteristics, and the nature of relationships (e.g., collaborations, events, boards or
committees, funding). The following questions offer guidance about information to include.
The two main components of a network ecosystem map are the actors and the
connections between actors. Actors are generally represented by nodes, while
connections are edges or lines.
Government
Individuals
Funders
NGO's
Nonprofits
Corporations
Hackers
Organizers/Activists
Data intermediaries
Libraries
Funding streams
Social connections
Events
Projects
Organizational Partnerships
Locations
Resources
ConnectionsActors
Guide to Civic Tech & Data Ecosystem Mapping
7
9. Who are the organizations in your ecosystem?
• Are there any relevant city government
offices or community organizations that
you have not reached out to yet? Think
about community players that have been
historically marginalized.
• Is there a city government office or
agency involved in civic tech and data?
• How active is your community foundation?
Organization Characteristics
What role do they play?
• What level of involvement do they have
in the space (e.g., communicate mission,
describe the organization, provide details
on organization size and scope)?
Connectivity and Relationships
How do the organizations you
mapped interact with each other?
• The diagram on the previous page lists
potential connections (e.g., funding, social
networks, resources, locations, subject
matter, and formal collaborations or
partnerships) between actors.
What types of events occur
(frequency and structure)?
Are there relevant boards or committees that
make decisions in this space?
How is each organization or partnership
funded, and what do funding relationships
look like (partnerships and projects)?
What “actors” do you work with?
• “Actors” are the organizations or people
that work in the ecosystem. They can be
active in the project or groups that you
have yet to connect with. You can begin by
mapping the partners you regularly work
with, and then expand to include their
partners or funders. Using this method
can help you organically map connections
starting with your current partnerships.
This approach can identify commonalities
between organizations and connections to
potential partnerships.
8
Actors
Guide to Civic Tech & Data Ecosystem Mapping
10. IV.
Choose a Data Collection
Methodology and Mapping Software
Now that you have the purpose, scope, and budget for your ecosystem mapping project,
think about how you will collect the data. Methodologies include:
Your data collection method should fit your project scope, budget, timeline, and staff
capacity. If the intent is to form new connections, take an interactive approach. Interviewing
partner organizations about their networks or hosting a group mapping session can foster
conversations and bring together potential partners.
Alternatively, groups may want to more quickly inventory group members, or lack the
capacity to host a session or conduct interviews. Creating a database, shared spreadsheet,
or online form can help ecosystem mappers crowdsource connections. The Alamo Regional
Data Alliance created a portal for organizations to input information such as organization
type, function, location, and willingness to participate in civic tech.
If you would like to facilitate your own ecosystem mapping session, we include a step-by-step
guide by FSG’s Guide to Actor Mapping.
Using an existing contacts database
Conducting an online survey
Crowdsourcing
Interviewing key actors
In-person group mapping
Least Interactive
Most Interactive
9
Guide to Civic Tech & Data Ecosystem Mapping
11. After you have completed the initial data collection, you can begin mapping, or visually
representing those connections. There are many visualization tools for ecosystem mapping.
A quick search for “stakeholder mapping” will return at least a dozen tools. For our CTDC
mapping, we analyzed four tools and decided to go with Kumu, based on the functionalities and
features we prioritized below. See appendix A for a detailed analysis. If you would like to use
Kumu, it has a data structure guide to help you structure your data into a spreadsheet.
Once you choose the tool, you can import your data and design your map. You should account
for time to organize and design the map, especially if you are new to the process. Organizing
and designing the map can become most time-consuming portion. Some examples of ways to
organize your Kumu map are here.
Tool
Customizable
fields and
clustering
Stakeholder
analysis
metrics
Import/ export
via Excel or
csv file
Individual
changes to
each actor/
connection
Image options Search bar
Structure
for inputting
data
Geotagging Free
Account
needed
Multiple users/
crowdsource
Civic
Graph • • • • • • •
Connect
the Dots • • • • •
Kumu
• • • • • • • • • •
Gephi
• • • • • •
Functionality Features Ownership
* Note: these features are as of May 2018
Guide to Civic Tech & Data Ecosystem Mapping
10
12. V.
Analyze Your Ecosystem Map
An ecosystem map is the beginning of a journey. Reflecting on your map or process can
be an opportunity to brainstorm new ideas for collaboration or recognize areas in need of
growth. Below are some guiding questions for analyzing your map.
Are there any silos?
Does the data look correct?
Are there any challenges with data quality?
Are there opportunities for new collaboration?
Is any sector not represented?
What skills are missing?
The Seattle NNIP partner saw
that her network was heavily
represented by researchers
and lacked technology
partners. There were a lot of
questions, including these:
Why were there actors
that were not connected
to each other? Why were
there big clusters of actors
in other cases? The map
showed gaps in data entry.
Some organizations were
not labeled correctly, and
other organizations were not
included. Before you share
your map publicly, do your
own analysis with our guiding
questions to make sure your
data are accurate.
11
Guide to Civic Tech & Data Ecosystem Mapping
13. Through ecosystem mapping, groups can form civic tech and
data collaborative, identify and build on shared priorities, and
address challenges with increased resources.
Your initial analysis might illuminate gaps in funding or highlight areas for more community
engagement. Once you have shared with your partners, consider sharing this map with
your community and encouraging an open dialogue about potential partnerships, funding,
or other collaboration. By looking at the potential or existing relationships with the data,
tech, government, advocacy, and philanthropic communities, individuals and groups can
identify assets or gaps in their ecosystem that cause challenges for low-income residents.
Who is missing and why?
What additional information about the
current organizations or people would be helpful?
What makes some connections weaker than others?
What can make more connections stronger?
Resources aside, how can you improve
connections between organizations or people?
Whether you collect data for
the map independently or
collaboratively, information
will be missing. A visual
map can show gaps where
partnerships or relationships
could form.
12
Guide to Civic Tech & Data Ecosystem Mapping
14. This guidance was produced as a part of the Civic Tech and Data Collaborative, funded by the John
D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation with programmatic support from Code for America, Living
Cities, and the Urban Institute. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily
represent those of the Civic Tech and Data Collaborative partner organizations, their trustees, or their
funders. Thank you to the 7 cities of the collaborative: Boston, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, San Antonio,
Seattle/King County, St. Louis, Washington DC for allowing us to learn from them to craft this
guidance. Special thanks to Kathryn Pettit, Principal Research Associate of the Urban Institute and
Elizabeth Reynoso, Associate Director of Living Cities for their feedback. Additional thanks to Katie
Baskett and Megan McGlinchey of Living Cities who have provided support throughout this work.
Acknowledgments
13
Guide to Civic Tech & Data Ecosystem Mapping
16. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
15
25
17
16
CONTENTS
Tools for Mapping an Ecosystem
Introduction
Example Analysis of Civic Tech and Data Networks
18Civic Graph
26St. Louis Tech StartUp Ecosystem Maps
22Gephi
29Omidyar Network’s Engines for Change
20ConnectTheDots
27Knight Foundation’s Civic Tech Tool
23Kumu
31
Network Impact’s Leveraging Data and Tech for
Healthy, Equitable, Sustainable Communities
33Scraping the Global Civic
Tech Community on GitHub
17. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
16
Introduction
Ecosystem mapping allows civic tech and data practitioners to visualize
and understand the actors and relationships in the civic tech and data
sectors. Ecosystem maps should identify key players in a tech and data
space—funders, coders, organizations, local government—and highlight
their connections to each other, to different projects, and to funding
streams. These mapping efforts should ideally be collaborative and
iterative, incorporating new information as the landscape changes.
This appendix has two sections: tools for mapping ecosystems and
examples. The first section describes four tools for mapping ecosystems
that enable users to input their own data and generate a network map or
visualization. The second section provides examples of reports and maps
to inspire users who are mapping their ecosystems. These include some
reports that focus explicitly on civic tech and/or data ecosystems and
others that describe local, national, and global networks.
The tools described below are software or online platforms that allow users
to generate their own network maps or include additional information. The
two main components of a network ecosystem map are the actors and the
connections between actors. Actors are generally represented by nodes,
while connections are edges or lines.
18. 17
Tools for Mapping
an Ecosystem
Table 1: Summary of Tool Characteristics
Tool
Customizable
fields and
clustering
Stakeholder
analysis
metrics
Import/ export
via Excel or
csv file
Individual
changes to
each actor/
connection
Image options Search bar
Structure
for inputting
data
Geotagging Free
Account
needed
Multiple users/
crowdsource
Civic
Graph • • • • • • •
Connect
the Dots • • • • •
Kumu
• • • • • • • • • •
Gephi
• • • • • • •
As listed in Table 1, these tools illustrate the range of resources available for free to
organizations or individuals looking to document civic tech and data ecosystems
or any other networks. Authors reviewed these tools in Spring 2017.
Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
Functionality Features Ownership
19. You can then specify the types of connections between two entities: Funding, Data,
Employment, or Collaboration. Users are able to filter for specific types of actors
or connections.
Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
18
http://civicgraph.io
Description
Civic Graph is an open-source project powered by Microsoft that is available to users free of
charge. It has a public version online with predetermined fields and layout, but users could
adapt the code to create a customized website. It is an interactive tool that enables users
to add information to a cumulative online database of the civic tech landscape. Users can
generate networks using existing data or add new information.
Components
Data in the platform represent entities-- – either organizations or people.
For each entry, the program prompts users to include:
• Entity name
• Location
• Type of organization (government, nonprofit, for-profit, individual)
• Employment
• Field of work (i.e. Social Services, GovTech, Smart & Resilient Cities)
• Size (measured by number of employees and Twitter followers)
• Social media handles
Civic Graph
20. The map shows a partial
geographic and social
distribution of the Civic
Tech and Data Collaborative
network. It also shows how the
Civic Graph interface reflects
different types of organizations
and relationships.
Comments
Users are able to visualize patterns of different connections interact in the civic tech
space. The categories and fields are pre-set, which makes it easier to use, but not easily
customizable for a specific project or context. Contributing to a public space enables
you to crowdsource knowledge, but it may contain entries not relevant to your analysis.
Additionally, users are not able to import or download data from the tool.
Visually, users can toggle between “number of employees” and “Twitter users” to scale the
size of the dots. These measures serve as proxies for organizational capacity and social
influence. The tool features a “network” view which shows the entities color-coded by
organization type and a “map” view where users can see the aggregate number of entries
when zoomed out and then drill down to see the geographic distribution of interconnected
partners and the connections between organizations.
Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
19
21. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
20
ConnectTheDots
https://databasic.io/en/connectthedots
Description
ConnectTheDots is an online tool that provides users a simple and accessible way to visualize
networks. By analyzing the connections created between data points, ConnectTheDots generates
a network diagram based on the information inputted by the user. Users are able to download
both the final diagram in png, svg, and gexf formats and the accompanying table as a csv.
Components
• Nodes — the dots are the central organizing units that are connected to one another
• Edge — connection between nodes
• Degree — number of connections for a node
• Centrality — a score of how much of a “connector” the node is. A high centrality implies that
the node has a high level of connectivity, i.e. many connections flow through the node.
Comments
The easy-to-use platform is great for
beginners. Users can import their own
data file or paste rows from an Excel
document-- the website shows necessary
Excel formatting. Additionally, the website
has an Activity Guide to explain terminology
and basic analysis for first-time users. Here is
an example of a simple network map for the
characters of Les Miserables.
22. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
21
Gephi
http://gephi.org
Gephi is free software available for users to download and install locally. The software
allows users to manipulate the representation of data—colors, shapes, structures. The
products are interactive visualizations of up to 100,000 data points (nodes) and 1,000,000
connections (edges). There is a plethora of layouts to apply to datasets, and Gephi
includes features such as network evolution over time, cartography options, filtering
abilities, and data table creation/manipulation options.
23. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
22
The program includes the standard metrics for
social network analysis (closeness, diameter,
clustering, etc.).
Comments
Gephi is extremely comprehensive visualization
software that allows users to input data and
generate multiple layouts, units of analysis,
and exportable reports. The program supports
more complex and customizable functions with
imported data. However, it does not allow for
multiple users to edit and update data.
Data Driven Detroit (D3) has used and
catalogued their networking mapping
experience with Gephi. Using data from the
Urban Innovation Exchange, D3 generated
a protocol document to introduce users to
the Gephi interface, preparation of data for
import, visualization basics, and simple sample
visualizations and maps.
Components
Gephi generates visualizations based on nodes and edges. A “node” is a data point that
could be used to represent actors --organizations, users, projects, funders--while “edges”
show the connections—financial, social, organizational— between nodes. The entity types
and attributes are not pre-set as with other tools like Civic Graph.
• Nodes – data points
• Edges – connections between data
24. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
23
Kumu
https://kumu.io/
Kumu generates a web of connections based on selected organizational attributes. Users
upload data and descriptions to Kumu’s online platform and can organize the types of
elements and connections involved in the network. The variability of the platform gives
users immense freedom in creating maps. To help users, Kumu includes a data structure
guide to help organize data in a spreadsheet prior to importing into the tool.
Components
Users can select filters based on the structure of the dataset imported. For example,
“elements” or units of analysis could be people, organizations, or opportunities.
“Connections” could be partnerships or projects. Additionally, the ability to “cluster” allows
users an extra level of analysis by revealing connections not highlighted by filters.
To explore the tool, we created an ecosystem map of our Civic Tech and Data Collaborative
(CTDC) convening in Kansas City. Our elements were people, organizations, their project
role, events, cities, sector, and networks. The connections included the city and sector.
We could filter by whether the organization was a CTDC partner, and then look at the
connections by city. The functionality of the tool allows us to layer filters to reveal the
underlying complexity of how organizations interact with one another. Our project-specific
map attributes included:
Filters (Elements)
• Person
• Organization
• CTDC member
• CTDC national partner
• CTDC convening session
• Event
• Networks
• City
• Sector
Filters (Connections)
• City
• Sector
25. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
24
For a more complex map, we looked at Data Driven Detroit (D3)’s map of their network
of urban innovators. Their ecosystem map included an extensive web of projects
with descriptions of actors, organizations, and people. The Kumu tool allows users
to add explanatory text to the diagram, which can be helpful for contextualizing and
communicating network maps. The maps below show more extensive options for elements
and filtering and the options available for adding descriptive text.
Comments
The tool requires the user to create an account, allowing the user to update and customize
data and analysis. The software is initially difficult to navigate but allows for a wide array of
categorization and representation options. Additionally, the Kumu site provides a support
document for structuring input data. This tool can also be helpful if you are crowdsourcing
data from multiple organizations. We used a Google Sheet to collect information in a
central respiratory before inputting into Kumu. There is an additional paid option that allows
users more options.
26. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
25
Example Analysis
of Civic Tech Networks
To help see how ecosystem mapping works in practice, the following
section includes examples of mapping analysis, visualizations, and sam-
ple maps. The examples show various aspects of the state of civic tech
and data, different tools that can be used, and the value of documenting
networks. Some examples describe a specific ecosystem (St. Louis StartUp
Ecosystem Map), while others provide an overview of the state of the civic
tech field. Each includes an element of network visualization. However, the
reports are static— users are not able to import their own data or manipu-
late the existing data set.
27. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
26
https://www.itenstl.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ITEN_2016_STL_Tech_Ecosystem.pdf
ITEN, an entrepreneurial support group, created a static map that captures a snapshot of
the tech startup ecosystem in St. Louis.
Components
ITEN’s map includes organizations, investors, connections, and explanations of the various
initiatives in St. Louis. The inclusion of explanatory bubbles makes the graphic more
accessible and usable for someone looking to understand the scope of the tech landscape
in St. Louis. For example, the four spheres—funding, facilities, acceleration, community
resources—are components of the tech ecosystem.
St. Louis Tech StartUp Ecosystem Maps
Comments
This map focuses more on the relationships
between actors versus the specific attributes
of each individual actor. There are explanations
of the overall components of a civic tech
landscape, but the nodes are all uniform size
and lack descriptions. Ultimately, this structure
emphasizes the intersections of organizations,
rather than organization-specific details.
The St. Louis civic tech map is an example of an
output that a city or partnership may generate
as point in time documentation of their local
ecosystem or survey participation, funding
opportunities, interest, or existing investment in
civic tech and data in a given city.
28. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
27
Knight Foundation Civic Tech Tool
http://knightfoundation.org/features/civictech
The Knight Foundation and Quid published a report and interactive visual based on an
assessment of the civic tech landscape. The interactive visualization allows users to explore
financial streams, areas of focus, and civic tech actors. The two major themes are: open
government and community action. Open government refers to organizations or projects
that take a top-down approach to publicizing and making accessible government data.
Community action projects build from the bottom-up to increase community capacity
through peer-to-peer information and skill exchange. The Knight definition of civic tech
is broader than most, including peer-to-peer local sharing, civic crowdfunding, and
neighborhood forums, which are categorized as community action projects.
Components
Organizations or projects are represented based on their relative capacity and impact in
a given space. Issue areas and initiatives are deemed “clusters.” The documentation and
representation of organizations shows the relationships and funding streams between major
organizations, initiative areas, and funding and resources. The report enables users to sort
nodes by theme (open government and community action projects), cluster, or organization
characteristic. The list below shows the options for sorting:
Clusters
• Visualization & Mapping
• Data Access & Transparency
• Information Crowdsourcing
• Civic Crowdfunding
• Voting
• Neighborhood forums
• Data Utility
• Public Decision Making
• Resident Feedback
• P2P Local Sharing
• Community Organizing
Organizations
• Investment broken down by type
(private, grant, no investment) and
size (small, medium, large)
• Each sphere shows the investment
size, type, year founded, similar
organizations, and connections to
other actors
29. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
28
Comments
The visualization is multi-layered with intersecting themes, clusters, and organization nodes. The
complexity of the map provides detail on how each individual node interacts with other actors.
Additionally, users can see summaries of the investment and infrastructure (number of organizations
and investments) for each cluster or subject area. The report offers clear figures for investment and
participation in the civic tech space. However, the report is static and does not allow users to adapt or
augment the organizations in the tool.
30. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
29
Omidyar Network’s Engines of Change Report
http://enginesofchange.omidyar.com
Description
The Omidyar Network and Purpose created a report and interactive data visualization
comparing the rise of civic tech to 21st-century social movements. They define civic tech as
“incorporating any technology that is used to empower citizens or help make government
more accessible, efficient, and effective.” The research used data from 2013 and 2015 social
media sites including Twitter, HackerNews, GitHub, Google Trends, and Crunchbase to
show how the civic tech sector has changed in popularity, engagement, action, vision,
and identity.
Components
They generated a set of criteria that describe and measure a social movement
and applied them to civic tech, including:
• Scale and/or Growth
• Grassroots Action
• Sustained Engagement
• Shared Vision
• Collective Action
• Shared Identity
31. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
30
Additionally, to analyze each of these areas, the report uses Purpose’s Movement
Measurement methodology to capture civic tech involvement through five participatory
indicators -- interest, conversation, action, affiliation, and funding.
For example, to measure “scale and/or growth” the report applied social
media indicators—interest, conversation, action, affiliation, and funding—to
social media mentions between 2013 and 2015.
To measure “grassroots activity,” the report used an “affiliation” indicator
based on the number of Meetup events happening in a given geographic area,
GitHub participation, and Twitter.
An additional data exploration tool allows users to interact with the movement elements
and data. Interactive visualizations accompany the discussion of each metric. Some
examples include:
Graphs show Twitter activity, meetup/civic tech events, and Github
contributions as indicators of “collective action.”
Analysis of “Average Tweeter Overlap with Topic” looked at how often people
tweet about multiple civic tech topics. The intent was to measure common
messaging and a shared understanding and vision of civic tech.
Comments
The overall finding of the report is a need for a coherent and comprehensive view of civic
tech. If the sector can better conceptualize and communicate its mission and sense of
shared identity, it will capitalize on growing interest in the field. Additionally, there are
calls to action for specific audiences including: organizations, governments and cities,
practitioners, startups, and investors. Here, ecosystem mapping can help identify potential
areas of collaboration and points of entry.
32. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
31
Network Impact’s Leveraging Data and Tech
for Healthy, Equitable, Sustainable Communities
http://networkimpact.org/leveragingtech/#notes
The Network Impact report focused on the needs of the social sector to assess and
document networks of data users and available data. Their analysis includes various types
of civic tech and data components, including mapping and analytic tools, data websites
and local and national organizations. Leveraging data was found to be critical in expanding
the impact and effectiveness of the sector. Additionally, the main three findings presented
by the research were:
Data ecosystems can help identify data networks and inform users
and practitioners to better leverage connections. Each step in the data
process can be improved with a better understanding of data and or data
infrastructure—access, standards of use, collection-- analysis, and information
sharing.
Understanding the role data plays in the sector can expose areas of need
or areas of overinvestment. A clearer picture of data use can help shape
initiatives using data to advance equity and social justice.
Increasing data literacy would empower the sector as a whole—from the
individual level up.
The Network Impact report concludes that bolstering data ecosystems would be key to
advancing the social sector. Furthermore, in investing in an ecosystem, organizations
should prioritize four areas – data infrastructure, technology infrastructure, organizational
capacity, and research and discovery.
33. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
32
Components
The report diagrams the components of a social sector data ecosystem. The stakeholders
are actors or entities in the civic tech space, comprising individuals, communities,
organizations, funders, and governments. The elements of the ecosystem are shown
radiating outward from “data”. A data ecosystem should document these elements, either
explicitly with commentary or through the visualization of actors and relationships.
The report included a section on the elements of a data ecosystem and the tools for
analysis and visualization that individuals or organizations employ. It also included
organizations and their specific roles in the analysis. The categories of tools included:
• Collaboration
• Data Analysis
• Data Collection
• Data Visualization
• Evaluation
• GIS Mapping
• Multi-feature platform
• Open source
• Process mapping
• Sensors
• Storytelling
The “Knowledge and Collaboration” tools evaluated ranged from software (ArcGIS) to broad methods
of analysis (Community Health Needs Assessments) to data intermediaries like (Data Driven Detroit).
Additionally, Network Impact ranked tools on their usability and innovativeness; it found that the most
innovative tools required the greatest amount of user knowledge and expertise to use effectively.
Comments
The report indexes and analyzes a variety of data tools, techniques, and practitioners. It also contains a
written analysis of the importance of building tech and data into sector capacity. The increase in data
literacy can help bolster the missions and effectiveness of groups in the social sector.
34. Appendix A: Tools and Examples for Ecosystem Mapping
33
Scraping the Global Civic Tech Community on GitHub
http://sbaack.com/
A PhD student at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, Stefan Baack studied the
“datafication” of the world—the increasing quantification of culture and society. He studies
the intersection of civic engagement, data, and journalism. His experiment “Scraping the
global civic tech community on GitHub, part 2” is an update to a prior look at GitHub as a
proxy for civic tech participation across sectors.
Components
Node—the user
• The color of the node corresponds to the
organization the user belongs to. The size
of the node reflects the number of follows
a user has
Repositories
• “repos” are locations for files to
be stored and accessed, including
open-source projects
Comments
Baack noted is that organizations with more connections in common
appeared clustered, like Code for America and g0v. These two dominant
groups are clustered together on the map, while more country-diverse
groups occupy a separate space. A caveat identified by Baack is that the
GitHub follower analysis is a proxy for exchange, while the contributor
network is a proxy for collaboration. Analyzing repositories, Baack
restructured the ecosystem to reflect collaboration between users. When
the map was restructured, it showed the collaborative networks of certain
groups, i.e. g0v works with European groups more than US, despite being
closely clustered with Code for America.
The post also includes a listing of the most popular repositories and a map
showing the geographic distribution of hackers around the world. The
United States and Europe had the largest concentration of civic hackers.