Presenting on the Global Data Barometer at Malawi’s 2nd Machine Learning Indaba today

Today Logos Open Culture Director Muti Etter-Phoya will present at Malawi’s 2nd IndabaX on our work on the Global Data Barometer.

Muti is the lead researcher for the Global Data Barometer‘s research in Malawi through the regional research hub hosted by Kenyan Local Development Research Institute. The Barometer assesses data policies and practices around the world. It asks generally what frameworks are in place for data, what data is actually published and how is this data put to use.

In the inaugural edition of the index, which builds on the Open Data Barometer study, thematic areas are included to examine which data is governed, shared, and used for the public good. The thematic areas include: climate action, company information, health & COVID-19, land, political integrity, public finance, and public procurement.

Highly relevant to Malawi, even today’s front page of The Nation brings home the challenges in Malawi’s data governance framework. Although Malawi introduced a Political Parties Act in 2018, which outlines requirements for political parties to reporting financing, The Nation reports that parties have not disclosed funding sources.

Why is data on party financing important? As the Global Data Barometer reports:

The public good can best be served when there is an open, accountable, and equitable public sphere in which money can not be used to distort fair decision-making related to the public good or access to political office.

Data can be a powerful tool to identify whose interests shape how governance decisions are made and implemented. Within democratic political systems, this involves transparency of political party finance, information on the interests of political decision-makers, information on lobbyists’ interventions, and information on public consultation processes in rule-making, as well as a robust access-to-information system that helps members of the public evaluate and hold to account those in power.

Tune in to Muti’s presentation later today at the 2nd Malawi IndabaX. The Indaba-X Malawi is part of Deep Learning Indaba, which is an African wide community advancing technology and artificial intelligence. Deep Learning Indaba aims at building communities, creating leadership, and recognising excellence in the development of machine learning and artificial intelligence across Africa. The Indaba-X Malawi was first held in 2019 and attracted over 100 applicants.