Open Data Campaigning Camp

Open Data Campaigning Camp

This one-day hands-on workshop will explore the different roles of open data in campaigning: from local actions to international development. We will explore lessons learned and emerging best practices in connecting campaigners and open data application developers.

When and where is it?

• When: Friday 23 March 2012. 9.30am - 5.30pm. 
• Where: St. Anne's College, Woodstock Road Oxford, OX2 6HS, UK (7-10 minutes walk north from the Oxford centre). See a map of the venue.
• Cost: Free

Who is it for?

The workshop will immediately follow the annual eCampaigning Forum (#ECF2012), so will be targeted particularly at campaigners interested in increasing their understanding of how to engage with open data. We also invite developers and data experts interested in exploring the connections between data and campaigning.

How will it work?

The day will start with an introduction to open data, the history of open data campaigning, and short presentations on finding and using data, and on publishing data, for advocacy and campaigning. We will then quickly moving into action-learning - with participants choosing projects to work on throughout the day - exploring open data for campaigning around a key themes including:

• International Development
• Environment and Climate
• Public Spending Cuts
• Your suggestions... (if you have a theme you want to explore, bring along ideas and invite others to join you to work on it)

Projects might include: - designing a campaign using open data; - building a data visualisation; - creating a data campaigning toolkit for local activists; - creating a data-driven mobile app for campaigning; - publishing a dataset for campaigners to create mash-ups with; - exploring and updating data catalogues; - and whatever other ideas you bring along. Come prepared with ideas, or prepared to join a project and help out.

You don't need to be a data expert to take part: there will be support on hand to introduce different ways of engaging with data.

Get involved

If you have ideas for an additional track of activity - or feel you could contribute as a facilitator or project lead (for a hands-on project) to any of the tracks above get in touch with tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk or r.kleef@nivocer.com.

Cost

Places are free, although at the moment participants will need to contribute towards the costs of lunch (sponsorship welcome)*. Participants coming from ECF will already be on site from Thursday, so we are expecting to have a meal on the 22nd and all coming on the 24th are welcome to join us. Accommodation can be arranged at St Anne's college if required.

Agenda

Draft Agenda 9.30 - 10.00 - Welcome and introductions

10.00 - 11.00 - Quick Presentations History of open data: Campaigning for and with open data The presentation from 2012 - showing a range of campaign strategies for working with data; Visualisation, info-graphics and influence (?) - the power of the graph... Transparency - local and global A quick tour of the emerging open data landscape

11.00 - 11.30 - Thematic track introductions - split into groups with track leaders who provide an introduction to that track and talk through some of the issues to explore during the data. International Development Environment & Climate Spending Cuts Other ideas...

11.30 - 12.00 - Projects brainstorm - feedback on any existing projects. Brainstorming ideas for hands-on projects to complete for the rest of the day. (Some pre-prepared briefs will be available for groups to work on if no ideas come from the group/capture participants imagination)

12.00 - 13.00 - Project sprint - working hands-on on different projects. The focus will be on learning how to work with data for campaigning: non-data-specialists learning about the data; and non-campaigners learning about campaigning needs.

13.00 - Lunch

13.30 - 16.30 - Continued work on projects - with track leads optionally running extra training on specific elements of working with data.

16.30 - 17.30 - Feedback - showing what's been created and capturing learning.

2011 Participants (last year)