Image credit: Bootcamp Session in Turin © Andrea Guermani

Original article here.

We live in societies where data is everywhere and nowhere at the same time, because it is often locked in silos and unable to be reused to serve the public interest. The Data Tank envisions societies that are equipped to access data in inclusive, responsible, systematic and sustainable ways to improve people’s lives. Creating ecosystems for data reuse is central to achieving this. Governance and technical infrastructure are important pillars of these ecosystems but they need the human infrastructure that can make them function. Data stewardship involves the skills, competencies and functions needed to provide access to data for reuse in the public interest. In 2024, and building on earlier work by The GovLab, The Data Tank has delivered a programme of Data Stewardship bootcamps to meet the growing demand across sectors. As we already prepare the bootcamps planned for 2025, we reflect on this past year and on what is about to come.

How it All Started: The Need for Data Stewardship

In recent years, data has become an increasingly valuable asset across sectors. Going digital has dramatically increased the amount of available data. Yet, the challenge is not just collecting and storing data, but actively managing it, using it, and most importantly recognizing the value of reusing it for other purposes than collected. To unlock its value, therefore, organisations require dedicated professionals handling data responsibly, ethically, and effectively. And, as data becomes a key element in decision-making, innovation, and governance, there will be a growing demand for data stewardship.

We live in societies where data is everywhere and nowhere at the same time, because it is often locked in silos and unable to be reused to serve the public interest. The Data Tank envisions societies that are equipped to access data in inclusive, responsible, systematic and sustainable ways to improve people’s lives. Creating ecosystems for data reuse is central to achieving this. Governance and technical infrastructure are important pillars of these ecosystems but they need the human infrastructure that can make them function. Data stewardship involves the skills, competencies and functions needed to provide access to data for reuse in the public interest. In 2024, and building on earlier work by The GovLab, The Data Tank has delivered a programme of Data Stewardship bootcamps to meet the growing demand across sectors. As we already prepare the bootcamps planned for 2025, we reflect on this past year and on what is about to come.

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The rise of Data Collaboratives has only increased the need for data stewards. Data Collaboratives can be broadly defined as cross-sector collaborations between the private sector, public sector, research institutions, civil society and people who co-create some of these data in the first place. These partnerships leverage private-sector data and expertise to address public challenges, such as public health and climate change. Given the complexity of the topics, there are a set of questions that need to be asked: What is the problem at hand? (Why) do we need access to data to solve the issue? How can we enable access to data reuse for public good? Adding to these complexities, the involvement of multiple stakeholders requires a rethinking of how data is accessed and managed, ensuring it is used for the public good without compromising ethical or legal standards. We are living in paradoxical times, where on one hand, there is a growing demand for data in the age of AI, and on the other, there is a growing trend of restricting access to data, what our Co-founder, Stefaan Verhulst, refers to as “The Data Winter”.

To address this need, TheGovLab, in partnership with Microsoft, launched the Data Stewards Academy in 2020. The academy was designed to help professionals across industries develop the expertise needed to manage and share data in a systematic, sustainable, and socially responsible way. Through its online Executive Education Courses, the program trained leaders from the private, public, nonprofit, and academic sectors, equipping them to create data re-use strategies and lead the development of data governance frameworks.

Back to the Classroom: Data Stewards Bootcamps

In alignment with its mission, The Data Tank has continued the legacy of the Data Stewards Academy by offering Data Stewards Bootcamps in both onsite and hybrid formats. Our bootcamps aim to build the human infrastructure needed to responsibly and systematically leverage data for the common good.

2024 has been a pivotal year in that sense. The Data Tank hosted two bootcamps bringing together professionals from civil society, public, and private sectors to deepen their expertise and build a community of data stewards who can drive positive change. For the first time, we offered these bootcamps in both on-site and hybrid formats. Approximately 30 senior executives across Europe participated, all working at the intersection of data and public good. The bootcamps explored various aspects of data re-use, including city-level initiatives and social sector development, sparking innovative ideas and creative thinking. They included peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, field visits, and insights from expert guest speakers. In addition to the learning aspects, the bootcamps have fostered collaboration, enabling participants to better understand how they can leverage data to solve pressing challenges and create social impact.

Data Stewards Intensive Course in Berlin

The Data Tank facilitated its first data stewardship bootcamp in Berlin (June 10–14). In collaboration with the Governance Lab and supported by The Bertelsmann Foundation, the event gathered 14 participants from the social and civil society sector in Germany and beyond. Stefaan Verhulst, TDT’s Co-founder & Principal Scientific Advisor led the sessions, that included course material delivered by a pool of data domain experts such as Prof. Ingmar Weber (Saarland University), Martin Waehlisch (UN), Maximilian Von Grafenstein (Law & Innovation), Catherine Vogel (GIZ Data Lab), Alex Hutchison (Data for Children Collaborative), Ramy H’cini & Wassim Kallel (Think-it), Gunda Ehmke & Hans-Christian Mangelsdorf (Federal Foreign Office in Germany & Data Innovation Lab), Christina Willems & Dénes Jäger (Open Knowledge Foundation Germany). During the bootcamp, together with Possible Germany, we held a quick fire-side chat on data innovation in the public sector in Germany with Khrystyna Shlyakhtovska , Sabine Gerdon (AWS Germany) and Mathias Keller (Possible Germany). Alongside these discussions, we visited the Global Migration Data Analysis Center (IOM) and Wikimedia Germany, where participants could listen to keynote talks, ask questions, and network. The thematic focus for this pilot edition was open data, and all conversations revolved around meaningful re-use of open data and (locked) data towards a faster, responsive, and responsible social & civil society sector in Germany (and beyond).
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Data Stewards Bootcamp in Turin

The Data Tank facilitated the second data stewardship bootcamp in Turin, from November 18 to December 11. This time, we went for a hybrid delivery,with three days on-site followed by three weeks of online sessions. The bootcamp hosted 13 participants from the private sector, public administration, and civil society enabling diverse views and approaches to data re-use for public good. We designed this second edition with a focus to understanding how data re-use can be applied in urban contexts, advancing the development of participatory and data-driven cities. An additional component was the intersection of AI and Data: what does AI-ready data mean? How can AI help to democratize access, use, and re-use of data in city level initiatives? As in Berlin, data domain experts joined our bootcamp, including Ciro Cattuto (ISI Foundation), Bruno Lepri (Fondazione Bruno Kessler), Ludovica Paseri (University of Turin), Dana Mazia (Bright Data Initiative), Andrea Zaramella (Vodafone Business), Christian Racca & Leonardo Camiciotti (TOP-IX Consortium), Gianluca Sgueo (Sciences Po), Brennan Lake (Cuebiq), Alex Pompe (Meta Data for Good), Peter Larsen (Smart City Insights), JoAnn Stonier (Mastercard). And our field visits took us to Intesa SanPaolo Innovation Center, OGR Tech, and CTE Next, three key institutions in Turin’s innovation ecosystem.
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What’s coming ahead: Steering the Way to Unlocking Access to Data for Re-use Together

We have an exciting 2025 ahead, and we are happy to announce that we will be hosting two data steward bootcamps in the first half of the year.

First, we will be back in Berlin, as part of our ongoing collaboration with Bertelsmann Stiftung. The Berlin bootcamp will focus on empowering civil society organizations to enhance their advocacy strategies through the use and re-use of open data.

Next, we will be heading to Switzerland! Thanks to the generous support of Hasler Stiftung, and in partnership with Open Data.ch and the Swiss Data Alliance, we will host an in-person Data Stewards Bootcamp in Zurich and Bern. This second bootcamp will bring together participants from the public, private, and academic sectors, as well as civil society, to explore best practices for data stewardship.

Continued Engagement with the Alumni Community

Combining our efforts, with the data stewards academy and bootcamps, our alumni community has now grown into more than 100 data experts across the globe. As a continued effort to maintain relationships and grow this community further, the Data Tank team and the Governance Lab have joined forces and started different community engagement initiatives; starting from monthly webinar series highlighting the relevant trends in data stewardship, up to sharing useful funding resources on a weekly basis. The alumni group has a dedicated slack workspace where they continue to share ideas and inspire each other.

If you are interested in developing a program similar to this and tailoring it to your specific needs, we are eager to collaborate. Whether you want us to design the entire program or partner with you to co-create it, we are here to help. Get in touch at comms@datatank.org

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