Open Data for Development (OD4D) is a global network committed to advancing the understanding, use, and impact of open data.
Our projects support high-quality research and innovation on open data ecosystems that are rooted in local contexts. We focus on projects that have the potential to spur social change, increase government transparency, and support the Sustainable Development Goals in the developing world and beyond.
Currently in phase III, OD4D’s objectives are to facilitate the use of data for improving gender equality and inclusion, good governance, and economic growth. Activities aim to inform local, regional, and global agendas on open data, and foster change through collaboration with multiple stakeholders: governments, civil society, the private sector, and technical experts. We put a special focus on working with vulnerable communities, including women and girls.
Funded by Global Affairs Canada, the Hewlett Foundation, and IDRC, OD4D III supports global initiatives and six regional hubs that engage in joint and individual activities relevant to their regional contexts. The hubs are:
- Africa Open Data Network (AODN), based in Kenya
- Data for Development Asia (D4DASIA), based in Cambodia and Malaysia
- Open Data Middle East and North Africa (ODMENA), based in Egypt and West Bank and Gaza
- Caribbean Open Institute (COI), based in Jamaica
- ILDA, based in Uruguay
- Communauté d'Afrique francophone des données ouvertes (CAFDO), based in Burkina Faso
The initiative prioritizes activities that contribute to five outcomes:
- drive inclusion and gender equality with better data and open government
- demonstrate how data innovation contributes to good governance
- improve the data capacity of women, youth, and other vulnerable groups
- support southern voices in data policy-making
- build the institutional capacity and long-term sustainability of the OD4D network
Building on past success
For several years, OD4D has advanced leadership in the Global South to showcase how sharing and using data drives accountability and transparency, supports social innovation and entrepreneurship, and informs more inclusive practices. The peer-reviewed, community-driven book State of Open Data: Histories and Horizons summarizes a number of these accomplishments over the past decade.
Read more about the Open Data for Development (OD4D) network and related initiatives:
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