Data Literacy Training: A training in September was successfully held for Civil Society Organizations

From September 13 to September 16, 2022, Open Development Cambodia (ODC) continued its ongoing promotion of Data Literacy for the Innovations in Social Accountability project (ISAC). Fourteen members of civil society organizations working on social accountability joined the training, which was held at Phnom Penh’s Diakonia Center.

Participants were primarily from civil society organizations working on social accountability issues. The overall goals of the training were to develop basic skills to both understand and work with data, guiding participants towards stronger inclusion of evidence-based insights into their reporting and policy outputs.

ODC’s team continued to use its localized curriculum, developed via coaching from ISAC partner Internews. Additional tailoring of the course (based on student comments) aimed to simplify and clarify the training agenda.

ODC’s Senior Data Research and GIS Officer Vong Pisith oversaw the training agenda and began the first day’s session by discussing student expectations and outlining the key areas of focus. Training began by Mr. Pisith outlining key ideas of ‘Understanding Data’. He was followed by ODC’s Data Research and GIS Specialist Mr. Loch Kalyan, presenting on key tools and resources for ‘Finding Data’.

For day two Mr. Pisith provided an overview of ‘Data Collection’, explaining how to utilize the tools profiled at the end of day one. Mr. Kalyan presented on ‘Data Scraping’, the process of acquiring data and then isolating key aspects (‘cleaning’), using spreadsheet tools.

On day three, approaches to ‘Humanizing Data’ were reviewed by Mr. Pisith, exploring ways to present information in approachable ways. ODC’s ICT Camp Manager Mr. Ngov Chihor expanded on this by explaining basic details on how to develop simple ‘Data Stories’.

During the final day, ODC’s ICT Camp Manager Mr. Ngov Chihor presented on ‘Organizing a Data Story’. Students then broke into groups to assemble the pieces of their own story based on Cambodia’s education sector, which took most of the morning and afternoon. Participants analyzed key points derived from one model data source and assembled them into a simple narrative format. They were guided by ODC’s team, who are familiar with the process.

After a brief overview of the course by the ODC team, trainees were encouraged to use their new knowledge and skills moving forward in their social accountability work. Student knowledge was confirmed by a brief post-test. ODC remains in contact with Data Literacy participants via email and a Telegram chat.

ODC and Internews will continue to refine and strengthen its overall Data Literacy curriculum for further use in the upcoming Year 4 of the ISAC project, also developing a simpler ‘Basic Data Literacy’ curriculum for beginners.