Data helps drive business decisions and better target marketing and sales efforts. As such, data is referred to as the new currency of business. For government agencies, it is valuable for improving how they serve their citizens.
With this in mind, it makes sense to prioritize data literacy just as we’ve focused on financial literacy to ensure everyone understands their role in utilizing and protecting data. The generally accepted definition of data literacy is “the ability to read, work with, analyze, and argue with data.” At first glance, this definition seems to apply only to data scientists and analysts. But with the omnipresence of data, the definition could be simplified to mirror the definition of financial literacy, focusing on how to make smart decisions with data. Looking at data with this lens will help organizations educate their leadership, their workforce, and their constituents.
Data Literacy for Leaders
A data literate leader is one who understands the power data has to help them make decisions and respects the work it takes to curate and analyze that data. Such a leader knows when to trust the data they are given and the right questions to ask when they want to be assured of that trust.
A data literate leader is also able to convey the business or mission’s data requirements to the technically focused data experts. This ability to collaborate on needed data with those who manage it is critical to building a data literate organization with a culture of curiosity around using data at all levels.
Data Literacy for the Workforce
A workforce full of data scientists would do little good to move the mission forward. But if you combine the data experts with the mission experts, organizations can move mountains. To accomplish this level of collaboration, a new level of education and training may have to take place. For the more technical team, it may be improving communication skills to better explain how data sharing works. Mission-focused, front-line individuals may need refreshers in math and graphing to better interpret data as it is delivered.
In one case, the State Department has implemented data campaigns to support the overarching Enterprise Data Strategy (EDS). The data campaigns are vehicles for applying the EDS to existing priorities. One was focused on competition with the People’s Republic of China and another on workforce diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. By showing the workforce how data could be used in new and different ways to move these priorities forward, trust was built to expand the coordination between data and mission teams.
Data Literacy for the People
In addition to workplace-provided training, data literacy education for the general public is also critical to securing data. Much as cyber hygiene is being taught — don’t give out passwords, don’t click on links from unknown senders, etc. — data literacy must also become part of the public conversation.
Data literacy for the general public begins with understanding what information to trust. This involves implementing critical thinking and fact-checking multiple sources. Just as putting on a seat belt is now second nature, double-checking the source posting a news story and checking secondary sources must be promoted as good data practice. Some progress has been made on this front. A study found that 44.3% of Americans visited websites during the 2016 US election that repeatedly provided false or misleading information. During the 2020 election, that number dropped by nearly half to 26.2%.
Understanding the Data Story
Just as learning to read opens up new worlds to us as children, data literacy enables us to see the world in which we work in different lights. Understanding what data is available and then applying that against key challenges introduces new solutions that may not have been obvious previously. By introducing tactical and technical training while encouraging cross-organizational collaboration, agencies will see a growth in literacy and, in turn, a growth in mission success.
As the founder of GovEvents and GovWhitePapers, Kerry is on a mission to help businesses interact with, evolve, and serve the government. With 25+ years of experience in the information technology and government industries, Kerry drives the overall strategy and oversees operations for both companies. She has also served in executive marketing roles at a number of government IT providers.
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