Page 101 - Proceedings of the 2017 ITU Kaleidoscope

Challenges for a data-driven society

perspective of empowerment and expansion of substantive 5. INFORMING THE IMPLEMENTATION
freedoms. OF SMALL DATA TOOLS

In the use of data towards development and wellbeing, This research is undertaken in the context of a larger
individuals employ both reflection [31] and social sense- exploration of the role of Information and Communication
making [16] as techniques towards converting the data into Technologies to support individuals and community based
actionable insights. Beyond sharing data within their organizations towards the achievement of the sustainable
immediate social circle, there are opportunities for development goals. The findings from this research stand to
increased effectiveness (e.g. for better understanding of inform the development of the associated small data tools
various social phenomena) within the sustainable towards supporting individuals’ use of data for their health
development ecosystem from sharing of data widely with and wellbeing (SDG3) as follows:
other stakeholders. The findings from the participants in - The tools need to allow for a targeted, differentiated
this research identify three clear groups of stakeholders for and secure sharing of data with specific individuals
consideration in data sharing. The first is associated with and stakeholders.
entities that are able to provide immediate benefit and - There is a requirement for data provenance
service to the participants (in this case, the doctors), the preservation, associated with expression of concern by
second represents the close social relationships, and the last the participants to have control over their data, and
broadly represents organizational entities. These clusters also to maintain the confidentiality of the data.
not only highlight the need for differentiated data sharing - The general high level of use of smart-phones presents
strategies, policies, and systems, but also provide an initial an opportunity for varied kinds of data (e.g. recorded,
encapsulation of the different requirements for data sharing. derived, and observed) to be processed, taking into
consideration the privacy concerns.
Beyond the identification of the participants’ attitudes - While it might be necessary to incorporate
towards sharing personal data with specific stakeholders, mechanisms for extrinsic rewarding within the tools
the investigation of the factors that affect participants’ for user contribution of data, there is also a potential to
willingness to share their data reveals the high importance facilitate community building and collective engaging
of data privacy, secrecy and confidentiality. This suggests a between the users of the tools.
need for explicit data security mechanisms within the
systems that are implemented for processing of personal 6. CONCLUSION
data. While the factors that are associated with external use
of personal data had a low influence on individuals The ubiquity and pervasiveness of data is growing and the
collecting and sharing of their data, it still remains that at a use of data to drive efficiencies, achievement of goals, and
mean of 4.48 (out of 7) these factors are still taken into improved decision making is increasingly permeating all
consideration at some level by the individuals. The three societal domains. This data revolution is characteristic of
st
clusters that emanate from this investigation also provide an the 21 century data-driven society and it presents
encapsulation of concerns to inform the development of numerous opportunities and risks not only to individuals,
relevant system policies or functionalities. but also to organizations and governments. Extensive
research has been undertaken that explores these
Research has been undertaken to explore the role and opportunities and challenges, in particular within the
effectiveness of incentives for influencing individuals context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
towards data sharing, in the context of participating in web goals.
surveys [28]. The findings from the participants in this
research, with regards to factors that would motivate their This paper has explored the engagement of individuals
collection and sharing of data is that both intrinsic within the sustainable data ecosystem, by investigating
motivations and extrinsic incentives would be considered through a non-probabilistic survey and presenting through a
and relevant, however the indication of the highest descriptive analysis: the awareness levels of the participants
incentive as “if it’s part of a community effort” puts even with regards to the Sustainable Development Goals; their
greater emphasis on the potential of intrinsic obligation- attitudes and perceptions around monitoring of social
based motivations. Linking this motivation with the indicators; key considerations associated with data
observations around social sense-making also suggests the ownership, privacy and confidentiality of data, as well as
potential of collective (e.g. at a community level, or social sharing of data within the data ecosystem. While the results
grouping level) engagement in data for sustainable from the survey are specific to the participants and cannot
development initiatives. This would thereby be towards not be immediately generalized to wider populations (due to the
only encouraging social sense-making, and providing non-probabilistic sampling), the findings highlight
incentives, but also expanding the collective capabilities of important considerations that not only stand to inform the
the individuals [35]. development and implementation of further small data
solutions in this research, but also contribute to the general
discussions around data ownership, data sharing, data
provenance, and incentives and motivations for sustainable
development data.

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