Joanne Parker is the project lead for SCODA at Open Cities Lab. Tshegang Chipeya is the project lead for the Durban EDGE Programme at eThekwini Municipality. We explore what SCODA is, what it offers Cities, tools utilised in the Durban EDGE case and success stories, Open Data challenges at the municipal level and how they can be overcome.
Discussion highlights
This episode is presented in partnership with Open Cities Lab
Who and what is the South African Cities Open Data Almanac (SCODA)
How the programme came about and where the need stemmed from
How they heard about the programme at the Durban EDGE
What SCODA offers Cities and the tools they utilise
How these tools have been utilised in the Durban EDGE case
The importance of Open Data for the Durban EDGE and how the portal has helped
The parties involved in making the programme a success
Next steps and future vision for SCODA
Major challenges faced at the Durban EDGE and how where they overcome
Success story at Durban EDGE
Where to find SCODA and the Durban EDGE Portal
About Joanne Parker
Joanne Parker is the project lead for SCODA at Open Cities Lab. SCODA is a programme developed in partnership with the South Africa Cities Network that uses civic technology, together with capacity development, to solve the data challenges of City practitioners. This includes the co-design and development of data pipelines, data strategy, data portals, dashboards, data stories, and data collection tools.
About Tshegang Chipeya
Tshegang Chipeya is the project lead for the Durban EDGE Programme at EThekwini Municipality, and the City's economic research lead. The Durban EDGE is the City's platform for economic intelligence, for economic stakeholders in EThekwini's economy. The public interface for the Durban EDGE is the Durban EDGE Open Data Portal, which includes datasets, datastories, dashboards, reports, and other thematic economic intelligence products.
About Open Cities Lab
We work to build inclusion and participatory democracy in cities and urban spaces through empowering citizens, building trust and accountability in civic space, and capacitating government.
CITIZEN EMPOWERMENT
We empower citizens to know their rights and understand the data, knowledge, mechanisms, and processes they can use to make their lives, and those of their communities, better. ‘Better’ means more inclusive and participative, both in ‘hard’ topics such as service delivery and built environment, as well as social cohesion, dignity, placemaking, and community building.
BUILDING GOVERNMENT CAPACITY
We work proactively with the government to build capacity for informed decision-making and evidence-based policy and planning, with a focus on areas where this can uplift vulnerable and excluded communities. We enable co-design of existing and new processes and mechanisms for including citizens in decision-making, including sharing and opening data and information, and ‘crowding-in’ of intelligence and insight.
TRUST & ACCOUNTABILITY IN CIVIC SPACE
We work with key actors including communities, the media, academia, and government to build accountability and trust in civic space. This includes fair and independent media, monitoring and transparent oversight of power, such as state-owned enterprises, and increasingly, the use of AI and machine learning in areas that affect privacy and democracy.
Visit: https://opencitieslab.org/
About The Durban EDGE
The Durban EDGE is eThekwini Municipality’s platform to provide cutting-edge economic intelligence and insight to economic decision-makers. The brand was established in 2011 by the City’s Economic Development Unit. The Durban EDGE produces publications; economic info releases, as well as on-demand seminars; an annual release on the State of the Durban Economy; and topical research papers.
Visit: https://edge.durban/