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Learn more about data literacy for the public sector in a Data Foundation’s report

The report dives into lessons learned from data literacy pioneers in the U.S.

Data literacy is increasingly recognised as a core competency in organisations. A data literate workforce means that individuals across the organisation can read, write, and communicate with data in the context of their role.  

The report “Data Literacy for the Public Sector: Lessons from Early Pioneers in the U.S.” published in March 2022 by the Data Foundation states that advances in the access, collection, management, analysis, and use of data across public sector bodies substantially contributed to steady improvements in governmental services. The report investigated 10 pioneering organisations that recognise data literacy as “a holistic set of activities to engage employees at all levels with data, develop employees with relevant skills, and enable scale of data literacy by augmenting employees’ skills with guided learning support and resources”.

The pioneers discussed in the report offer key lessons for other organisations that also seek to improve capabilities for using data, such as:

  • Engage senior leaders with clear roles and expectations to implement the data literacy programme effectively.
  • Talk about data in a common, relatable way across the organisation to drive traction in the application of data skills and expertise for lasting impact.
  • Align data governance and data literacy; data governance including a data catalogue, glossary, and data dictionary become critical foundations and dependencies for a successful data literacy initiative.

 

Curious to learn more? Read the full report here.

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