Developing Data? Markets and Politics in a Digital Age

数字数据已经变得非常有价值。移动的电话、数字金融服务和社交媒体的普及正在改变非洲的市场和政治，为新的就业和企业提供机会，并改善政府服务。然而，存在相当大的风险和障碍，包括缺乏数字能力，监视和错误信息的幽灵，以及工作与生活平衡质量的恶化。非洲企业、国家和民众能否利用数据实现自身发展目标，以及达到何种效果，需要跨部门和跨国家的合作参与。该项目将创建一个由学术界、工业界、民间社会和政策制定者组成的网络，以分析数字数据带来的变革。该网络将侧重于两大主题-发展数据市场和数据政治-以抓住非洲存在的广泛机遇和挑战。该网络还将考虑数据监管和数字技能生态系统，这两个领域贯穿两个主题。在项目的第一阶段，它将侧重于肯尼亚、坦桑尼亚和乌干达这三个国家，并计划在第二阶段获得资金后将其扩大到整个非洲大陆。该网络将促进成员之间的知识交流，能力建设和未来的研究合作。这些活动将在该网络的两个讲习班上特别突出，这两个讲习班将与我们在东非的伙伴组织一起组织。第一次会议的主题是“发展中的数据市场”，将由肯尼亚内罗毕斯特拉斯莫尔大学知识产权和信息技术中心主办。我们将研究数字数据如何促进新型业务的创建，以及个人数据的捕获和销售带来的挑战。它将涉及英国工业的参与，除其他活动外，将为市场探索和技能转让创造机会。第二个讲习班将由设在乌干达坎帕拉的东非和南部非洲国际信通技术政策合作组织举办，重点是“（利用）数据治理”这一主题。它将侧重于政府、政党和民间社会对数字数据的使用，以及有关新兴监管结构的问题。在这两次活动中，与会者将努力确定知识差距，并制定未来的研究议程。其他网络活动将包括制作一个视频系列，其中将采访东非数字数据方面的一系列专家和项目成员，解释与数据有关的基本概念，以帮助使这一领域更容易利用。在筹备每个研讨会时，该网络将创建一个景观分析，将绘制已知的内容以及新研究和创新的机会。该项目将管理一个网站，并在东非在线出版物上发表文章，以传播有关数据方面最新发展的知识。该项目还拨出具体时间为DIDA呼吁的第二阶段编写提案，目的是利用2020年为整个非洲的数字数据转型项目奠定基础。

Digital data has become hugely valuable. The proliferation of mobile phones, digital financial services, and social media are transforming markets and politics in Africa, providing opportunities for new jobs and enterprises, as well as improved government services. However, there are considerable risks and impediments, including a lack of digital capacity, the spectres of surveillance and misinformation, and the deteriorating quality of work-life balance. Whether African firms, states, and populations can harness data for their own developmental purposes, and to what effect, requires collaborative engagement across sectors and countries.This project will create a network comprised of academics, industry, civil society, and policymakers in order to analyse the transformations which are taking place as a result of digital data. The network will focus on two main themes - developing data markets and data politics - to capture the wide-ranging opportunities and challenges present in Africa. The network will also consider the regulation of data and the digital skills ecosystem, two areas that cut across both themes. It will focus on three countries - Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda - during the first phase of the project, with a plan to expand continent-wide if funded for the second phase. The network will promote knowledge exchange, capacity building, and future research collaborations between members. These activities will be particularly prominent at the network's two workshops, which will be organised with our partner organisations in East Africa. The first, covering the theme of Developing Data Markets, will be hosted by the Centre for Intellectual Property & Information Technology at Strathmore University in Nairobi, Kenya. We will examine how digital data is furthering the creation of new sorts of businesses and what challenges come from the capture and sale of personal data. It will involve the participation of UK industry and, among other activities, will create opportunities for market exploration and skills transfer. The second will be run by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East & Southern Africa (CIPESA) in Kampala, Uganda and will focus on the theme of "Governing (with) Data". It will focus on the use of digital data by government, political parties, and civil society, as well as questions about emerging regulatory structures. During both events, attendees will work to identify gaps in knowledge and to create a future research agenda. Other network activities will include creating a video series, which will involve interviews with a range of experts on digital data in East Africa and project members explaining basic concepts relating to data, to help make the field more accessible. In preparation for each workshop, the network will create a landscape analysis that will map what is known and what opportunities exist for new research and innovation. The project will manage a website and publish articles in East African online publications, in order to circulate knowledge about recent data-related developments. The project has also set aside specific time for writing a proposal for phase two of the DIDA call, with the aim of using 2020 to build the basis for a transformative project on digital data across Africa.