Session Description and Key Takeaways:

This two-day course, aimed at non-profits and civic organizations, will help participants to design and manage responsible and ethical processes for collection, use and storage of data, with a focus on data belonging to vulnerable and historically marginalized individuals and groups. We’ll cover aspects of data ethics, privacy and security throughout the “data lifecycle,” including a participatory self-assessment that will help organizations determine their strengths and challenges and create a plan for improvement.

The course will provide real-life scenarios for participants to work through as well as guidance on how to engage their wider organizations in more responsible and ethical data management. Participants will leave with a better understanding of concepts and frameworks related to ethical data management as well as practical tools, resources, and skills for bringing more responsible data approaches to their organizations.

Meet Your Instructor

Linda Raftree is an independent consultant focused on the ethical uses of technology and digital data at non-profit and human rights organizations. She is currently supporting CARE, Humanity United, Civic Hall, Girls Who Code, and Farm Radio International to develop and implement organizational data policy, practice, tools and guidance. Linda has also supported Catholic Relief Services and USAID to develop responsible data principles, policies and guidelines and advised The Rockefeller Foundation on responsible innovation and ICTs for evaluation.

In addition to her consulting work, Linda organizes the MERL Tech conference, which brings together various sectors who are working on digital data and impact measurement. Prior to becoming an independent consultant, Linda held various roles at Plan International, a global child-centered development organization. She is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM). Linda runs the New York City Technology Salon, blogs at Wait... What? and tweets at @meowtree.

Civic Hall

Based in NYC, Civic Hall is a non-profit collaboration space for the world’s civic innovators interested in using technology for social good. We are a community of social entrepreneurs, change-makers, government employees, hackers, academics, journalists, and artists who share knowledge, build tools, and solve problems together. Civic Hall aims to be a safer, more inclusive space, and all Civic Hall members, staff, invited speakers, guests, and vendors visiting our space are expected to abide by our Code of Conduct.