Smart!Data! An#Exploration#of#Technology#Innovations# for#sustainability#standards#systems!

Transcription

1 ! Smart!Data! An#Exploration#of#Technology#Innovations# for#sustainability#standards#systems!!! By!Wiebke!Herding,!ON:SUBJECT,!and!! Sönke!Fischer,!Accreditation!Services!International!! ISEAL!Alliance! October!2015!! Public!version!!!

2 Table#of#Contents# 1.! Executive#summary#...#3! 2.! About#this#report#...#4! 3.! Introduction#to#technology#innovation#...#5! 4.! ISEAL#member#survey:#Technology#challenges#in#standards#systems#...#6! 5.! Focus#group#conversations:#Perspectives#on#technology#innovations#...#7! 5.1! Managing!technology!innovation!...!8! 5.2! Gathering!data!...!12! 5.3! Integrating!data!...!16! 5.4! Analysing!data!...!21! 5.5! Sharing!data!...!24! 6.! A#roadmap#for#standards#systems:#Building#a#technology#ecosystem#...#28! 6.1! An!emerging!vision!...!28! 6.2! Smart!data!for!your!standards!system!...!30! 6.3! Technology!selection!process!...!31! 6.4! Collective!action!on!technology!...!33! 7.! Annexes#...#35! 7.1! Glossary!...!35! 7.2! Methodology!...!38! 7.3! Resources!and!References!...!40! 7.4! Article!in! ISEAL!Community!Newsletter,!September!2015!...!42!!!! Material!in!this!publication!is!free!to!use!with!proper!attribution.!Recommended!citation!format:! Herding,!W.!&!Fischer,!S.!(2015).!Smart&Data& &An&Exploration&into&Technology&Innovations&for& Sustainability&Standards.!Report!for!the!ISEAL!Alliance,!London.!! The!authors!can!be!contacted!as!follows:! Wiebke!Herding! Managing!Director,!! ON:SUBJECT! Sönke!Fischer# Operations!Director,!! Accreditation!Services!International#

3 1"Executive"summary" 1. Executive+summary+ Increasing+impact+with+technology+innovation+ Today s"sustainability"standards"systems"are"challenged"to"keep"up"with"a"rapidly"evolving" technological"landscape."while"the"corporate"world"has"learned"to"integrate"data"flows"across"global" supply"chains,"most"standards"systems"are"lagging"behind."" This"report"explores"the"relevance"of"current"trends"in"technology"to"sustainability"standards" "from" mobile"data"collection"and"the"internet"of"things,"to"open"data"and"blockchains" "and"proposes"a" roadmap"for"development."a"survey"of"iseal"members"and"focus"group"conversations"with"external" technology"experts"informed"the"recommendations"of"this"report."" Diverse+starting+points+ ISEAL"members"utilise"an"array"of"technological"solutions,"varying"in"sophistication"and"flexibility." Some"start"off"with"a"combination"of"spreadsheets"and"elbow"grease,"others"struggle"with"unwieldy" legacy"databases."some"invest"in"a"customised"database"and"accompanying"workflows,"others"focus" on"linking"data"from"multiple"systems."despite"their"differences,"these"organisations"share"a" common"need"for"technology"that"is"simpler"and"more"effective."" A+data<driven+approach+to+technology+ A"better"understanding"of"the"data"management"process" "gathering,"integration,"analysis"and" sharing" "has"emerged"as"a"central"precondition"of"technology"innovation."instead"of"following" buzzwords"and"fads,"standards"systems"need"to"map"data"flow"throughout"their"system"and"provide" technology"that"can"increase"transparency,"reduce"duplicate"data"entry,"and"improve"overall"data" quality"and"consistency."+ Integration+is+crucial+ No"single"technology"can"cover"all"of"the"data"management"needs"of"a"standards"system."Instead,"a" focus"on"data"exchange"formats"and"interfaces"enables"integration"both"within"and"between" organisations."the"resulting"ecosystem"of"it"platforms"can"evolve"to"adapt"to"changing"user"needs" and"technology"preferences."" One+step+at+a+time" An"agile"and"iterative"approach"to"IT"system"development"allows"for"quicker"impacts"and"more" targeted"alignment"with"user"needs."standards"systems"using"a"stepkbykstep"improvement"process" benefit"from"increased"effectiveness"and"overall"satisfaction,"and"can"reduce"the"risk"associated"with" technology"investments."" Collective+action+required+ ISEAL"members"must"take"action"to"ensure"that"standards"systems"remain"relevant"in"today s" dialogue"on"how"our"society"defines"and"assesses"sustainability."their"leadership"is"vital"to"the" development"of"functional"data"standards"for"the"sustainability"standards"world."together,"iseal" members"can"model"an"open,"collaborative"data"ecosystem"that"delivers"the"impacts"we"seek"with" our"work."" ISEAL"Smart"Data"Report" " 3""

4 2"About"this"report" 2. About+this+report+ This"project"was"commissioned"by"ISEAL"in"mid"2015"to"provide"its"members"with"a"solid" understanding"of"recent"innovations"and"trends"in"technologykbased"solutions"that"can"increase"the" effectiveness"of"sustainability"standards." As"an"initial"step"to"inform"a"potentially"longer"process,"the"project"was"designed"to"explore"the" breadth"of"the"current"technological"landscape."a"dialoguekbased"approach"was"employed"to" uncover"ideas"and"map"out"technology"buzzwords"and"trends."we"explored"new"approaches"that" can"help"standards"systems"operate"at"scale,"adapt"and"integrate"new"technologies,"and"create"new" value,"especially"in"relation"to"the"assurance"process,"chain"of"custody,"and"monitoring"and" evaluation."input"was"gathered"through"questionnaires"with"iseal"members"and"focus"group" conversations"with"external"technology"experts."" This"report"presents"ISEAL"members "challenges"and"experiences"with"current"technologies,"and"the" perspectives"of"four"panels"of"experts,"followed"by"approachable"guidance"and"recommendations." The"results"and"recommendations"were"developed"to"help"sustainability"standards"navigate"through" the"confusing"world"of"technology"innovation."we"encourage"you"to"bring"your"own"challenges," ideas"and"priorities"with"you"as"you"engage"with"this"material"to"improve"data"management" strategies"in"your"standards"system."" This"report"focuses"on"the"core"concepts"behind"today s"technology"innovations,"to"help"standards" systems"build"competence"to"evaluate"different"it"platforms."in"general,"many"solutions"for"a"given" technology"exist;"there"is"no"need"to"reinvent"the"wheel."examples"do"not"provide"the"best"or"only" possible"solution,"but"are"used"to"illustrate"a"concept"or"provide"an"entry"point"for"the"technology" selection"process."" It"was"our"aim"to"use"simple"language"to"make"sure"that"important"concepts"can"be"understood," while"at"the"same"time"honouring"the"complexity"of"the"topic"and"providing"guidance"for"the" creation"of"your"specific"data"management"system."underlined"words"can"be"found"in"the"glossary"at" the"back."" Some"of"you"may"still"find"this"report"too"technical:"this"may"be"a"sign"to"reach"out"for"help"or"build" technical"skills."if"you"find"this"report"too"simplistic:"please"help"others"to"catch"up."as"a"movement," we"have"a"lot"to"learn."" ISEAL"Smart"Data"Report" " 4""

5 3"Introduction"to"technology"innovation" 3. Introduction+to+technology+innovation+ Though"conceived"at"roughly"the"same"time,"the"core"approaches"behind"sustainability"standards" systems"were"developed"without"the"internet"in"mind."since"then,"internetkenabled"technology"has" dramatically"changed"the"way"we"work:"mobile"devices"have"become"common"in"even"the"poorest" parts"of"the"world."satellite"imagery"provides"powerful"realktime"information"about"land"use" worldwide."massive"connected"databases"seem"to"know"what"we"want"before"we"even"want"it."we" now"know"more"about"the"planet"than"we"ever"asked"for."we"no"longer"just"rely"on"expert"opinions," but"trust"anonymous"online"reviews"or"the"passing"remarks"of"a"friend"on"twitter."" Thenumberofnetworkeddevicesovertooktheglobalpopulationofhumans in2011.analystsestimatethatfiftybillionsensorswillbeconnectedtothe internetby2025,andeachonecanproducelargeamountsofdata. Thomas Davenport:BigDataatWork(2014) Buzzwords"abound."It s"becoming"ever"more"challenging"for"organisations"to"keep"up" "and"to"make" sense"of"it"all."amongst"claims"that" the"data"revolution"is"changing"the"landscape"of"business, 1 " some"will"tell"you"that" big"data"is"bullshit. 2 "There"is"the"infamous" Internet"of"Things 3 "and" discussions"of"whether"artificial"intelligence"might"become"so"powerful"that"it"can"no"longer"be" controlled. 4 "" The"rapidly"evolving"technological"environment"offers"great"opportunity"for"sustainability"standard" systems"to"evolve"into"leaders,"demonstrating"heightened"transparency"and"impact"in"their"sector.""" Most"of"the"sustainability"standards"as"we"know"them"have"developed"over"the"past"two"decades;" their"requirements"were"refined"through"continuous"stakeholder"engagement."however,"the" underlying"certification"process"nowadays"remains"remarkably"similar"to"20"years"ago:"an"expert" auditor"visits"a"certificate"holder"about"once"a"year"and"completes"a"checklist"to"document"the" client s"compliance"and"to"specify"areas"for"improvement."sending"auditors"to"a"client,"perhaps"to"a" coffee"farmer"in"a"remote"tropical"mountain"region"or"to"a"salmon"farm"in"a"subkarctic"fjord,"is" expensive,"and"often"the"only"information"that"remains"from"this"visit"is"a"simple"checkbox"that"says" compliant/"nonkcompliant."" What+if+new+technology+could+help+us+to+gather+more+useful+information,+more+cheaply+ +and+ make+more+sense+of+it?+ While"large"corporations"have"quickly"embraced"such"new"technology,"sustainability"standard" systems"adopt"technology"innovations"with"great"caution."from"a"business"perspective,"some" sustainability"schemes,"once"seen"as"great"innovators,"may"now"seem"old"fashioned"and" cumbersome."smart"tools"allow"companies"to"easily"measure"their"environmental"and"social" """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 1 "Building"with"big"data."The"Economist,"26"May"2011."Available"online."" 2 " Big"data "is"bunk,"obama"campaign s"tech"guru"tells"university"leaders."the"chronicle"of"higher"education,"30" October"2013."Available"online."" 3 "The"internet"of"hype."The"Economist,"9"December"2015."Available"online." 4 "The"dawn"of"artificial"intelligence."The"Economist,"9"May"2015."Available"online."" ISEAL"Smart"Data"Report" " 5""

6 4"ISEAL"member"survey:"Technology"challenges"in"standards"systems" performance"on"their"own,"potentially"minimizing"the"need"for"the"thirdkparty"audit"process" currently"enshrined"in"most"certification"schemes.""" The"challenge"is"clear:"multiKstakeholder"standards"systems"need"to"provide"faster"and"easier"access" to"data"about"the"state"of"certified"companies,"or"they"are"destined"to"lose"relevance"in"the"dialogue" on"how"our"society"defines"and"assesses"sustainability."ignore"technology"innovation"at"your"own" risk." 4. ISEAL+member+survey:+Technology+challenges+in+standards+systems+ Beforewedemandmoreofourdata,weneedtodemandmoreofourselves. NateSilver:TheSignalandtheNoise(2012) We"assessed"the"current"experiences"and"challenges"of"ISEAL"members"in"regards"to"technology" innovation,"via"a"survey"focussed"on"information"gathering,"management"and"analysis"as"it"relates"to" the"assurance"process,"chain"of"custody"and"monitoring"and"evaluation."a"total"of"18"iseal"members" completed"the"survey,"covering"85%"of"the"iseal"membership."" To"better"understand"the"specific"issues"faced"by"ISEAL"members,"their"IT"systems"and"resulting" challenges"and"needs"were"analysed"along"two"axes:"" Sophistication."How"much"has"the"organisation"invested"in"information"management" systems?"how"well"do"the"systems"match"their"business"processes"and"information"needs?"" Flexibility."How"easy"is"it"for"the"information"management"system"to"adjust"to"changing" needs"and"to"evolve?"how"well"does"the"system"integrate"with"other"solutions?"+ Figure+4.1+Mapping+technological+maturity+of+ISEAL+members" More"details"about"their"technology"use"and"wishes"are"included"in"the"memberKonly"version"of"this" report,"available"on"the"iseal"community"website."" " ISEAL"Smart"Data"Report" " 6""

7 5"Focus"group"conversations:"Perspectives"on"technology"innovations" 5. Focus+group+conversations:+Perspectives+on+technology+innovations+ Parallel"to"the"survey"of"ISEAL"members,"a"set"of"four"focus"group"conversations"with"external"IT" experts"and"technology"thinkers"explored"how"technology"innovation"can"increase"the"impact"of" sustainability"standards"systems."participants"included"experts"from"outside"the"sustainability" standards"world"as"well"as"sustainabilitykminded"it"thinkers"to"increase"diversity"and"innovativeness."" The"focus"groups"took"a"dataKdriven"view"on"technology"innovations"by"looking"at"four"steps"in"the" data"management"process:"" 1. Gathering+data+from"surveys,"mobile"apps,"sensors"and"crowdKsourced"input;+ 2. Integrating+data"using"data"standards,"databases"and"exchange"formats;+ 3. Analysing+data"with"data"science,"visualisations"and"other"reports;"and"+ 4. Sharing+data"with"open"data,"citizen"science"and"trust"networks."" " Figure+5.1+Focus+group+design+ " " In"addition"to"these"topics,"all"four"focus"group"conversations"provided"thoughts"on"useful" approaches"to"managing"technology"innovation."the"following"pages"present"the"results"step"by"step." Each"chapter"starts"with"an"explanation"of"core"concepts"before"introducing"the"recommendations" of"the"expert"conversations."we"also"provide"prioritised"lists"of"technologies"for"standards"systems" to"consider"and"a"set"of"examples"and"inspirations."" ISEAL"Smart"Data"Report" " 7""

8 5.1Focusgroupconversations:Managingtechnologyinnovation 5.1 Managing)technology)innovation) Important)concepts:)Managing)technology)innovation) Popularity+ + Howwidespreadisthetechnologyyouareconsidering?Themoreexistingusers,themorelikelyitis forthetechnologytobemaintainedforyearstocome.you llalsomoreeasilybenefitfrom upgrades,bugfixesandnewfeatureswithouthavingtoinvestlargeamountsforeachimprovement. Iftherearetoofewusersorifyouemployaproprietarytechnology,youmighthavedifficultyfinding newdevelopersifyouneedtoswitchproviders.inmanysituations,you llfindthatopensource softwareismorewidelyusedthanproprietarysoftware,thoughitmightrequiremore customisation. Interoperability+ Nosoftwaresolutionwillsolveallyourproblemsforever.That swhyitisimportanttochoose softwarethatplaysnicelywithothers.makesurethatyoucaneasilyimportandexportyourdatain anopenformat inthebestcase,yoursoftwareoffersanapi(applicationprogramminginterface) meaningthatyoucanautomaticallylinkvariouspiecesofyourtechnologyecosystem. Business+model++ Therearefourbasicbusinessmodelsforsoftware: Self:hosted)proprietary)software.Inthiscase,you llpayafeeupfrontforalicensetoinstallthe softwareonapersonalcomputerorsharedserver.inaddition,you llneedtopayforcustomisations andupdates.you llalsoneedtomaintainyourownhardware. Self:hosted)custom)software.Youaskadevelopertobuildasystemforyou,usuallybasedon existingfoundations.oncethesoftwareisrolledout,you llneedaseparatecontractfor maintenanceandnewfeatures. Self:hosted)open)source)software.Inthiscase,nolicensefeeisrequired,butcostsstilloccurfor qualifiedprofessionalstoinstall,customiseandmaintainthesoftware.again,you llneedtoprovide aserver(orpaysomeonetodoso). Software)as)a)service.Inthiscase,you llpayamonthlyorannuallicensefee(sometimesbyuser), butyoudon tneedtoworryaboutstarttupcostsand/orhardware.updatesareincluded; customisationsneedtobecoveredseparately.softwareasaserviceusuallyencompassesbothopen sourceandproprietarycomponents. Oneruleofthumbisthatawebsiteneedssubstantivedevelopmentevery3T5years plantomake similarinvestmentsinyourothertechnologysystems.evenbetter:budgetmoneyeveryyearto slowlyrolloutimprovements takeanagileapproachtomakingchanges. ISEALSmartDataReport 8

9 5.1Focusgroupconversations:Managingtechnologyinnovation Recommendations:)Managing)technology)innovation) This+is+maybe+the+first+step:+what+is+your+objective+and+related+to+your+ objective+what+will+be+the+data+framework+that+you+need+in+your+data+ requirement? + +Focus+group+participant+ It shelpfultorememberthattechnologyinnovationisnotanendinitself.technologyhelps standardssystemsachievetheirgoalsand: Speedupprocessesbyreducingtheneedforhumanintervention; Basedecisionsonthecurrentrealityoftheirsystemanditsparticipants;and Increaselearningandparticipationacrossallpartsoftheirsystem. The+technology+is+rapidly+evolving+and+not+something+I+pick+at+the+beginning.+ Usually+it's+more+about+developing+the+human+processes,+and+then+you+marry+ the+technology+to+that. + +Focus+group+participant+ Clarifyingtheproblem(s)wearetryingtosolve andthehumanprocessesinvolved isthusthe firststepinanysuccessfultechnologyproject. Inaddition,wefoundfourelementsthatwereconsideredusefulwhenmanagingtechnology innovation: 1. Agilemanagement; 2. Datagovernanceandquality; 3. Time(andotherresources);and 4. Collaboration. Agile+management+ Inacomplexenvironmentlikeasustainabilitystandardssystem,itisimpossibletodetermineall requirementsandconstraintsinadvance.inthewordsofoneexpert: Bigbangapproachesnever work. Softwaredevelopmenthasmovedlargelytoamanagementmodelcalledagiledevelopment. Thebasicideaistobuildausefulprototypewithminimumfunctionalityasquicklyaspossible,rollit outtousersandimmediatelyincorporatetheirfeedbackintothenextversion. The+key+thing+there+is+that+you+iterate,+iterate,+iterate,+iterate,+iterate.+You+ don t+build+a+big+system.+you+build+small+systems+that+talk+to+one+another Focus+group+participant+ Startingoffwithissuesthatcana)besolvedquicklyandb)deliverinstantbenefitstotheusersisa goodwaytocreateawarenessforthepotentialoftechnologyinnovationandthushelpstobuild momentumandstaminatoaddresssomeoftheharderproblems. Data+governance+and+quality++ Experience+reveals+that+treating+data+as+longNterm+assets+or+part+of+[an+ organisation s]+core+infrastructure+and+managing+data+within+a+coordinated+ ISEALSmartDataReport 9

10 5.1Focusgroupconversations:Managingtechnologyinnovation framework+produce+considerable+savings+and+ongoing+value. + +Australian+ Local+Government+Association+(2007)+ Aswearemovingtowardsusingourdatamoresystematicallytoincreasetheeffectivenessofour standardssystems,weneedtoconsiderquestionsofownership,qualityanduse.especiallywhen dealingwithdatafromotherorganisationsandindividuals,thisdemandsthedevelopmentofformal policiesandcontractsfordatamanagement,suchas: 1. Data)provision)requirements:Standardssystemscancreatecontractualresponsibilitiesfor certificateholdersand/orcertificationbodiestogatherandprovidecertaindatasets. Additionalincentivestoprovidedatacouldincludereports,analysisandinsightsbasedon thedataprovidedand,wheredesired,involvementintheprocessoflearningand improvement. 2. Data)quality)and)maintenance:Itismucheasiertodevelopgooddatacollectionpractices thantocorrecterrorsdownstream.asmuchaspossible,theprimaryresponsibilityforthe managementofdataqualityneedstorestwiththecollectorofthedata.themanagerofthe datasetcanthenfocusonerrordetectionandfeedbackandconductdataaudits.fora detaileddiscussionofdataqualitymanagement,seechapman'(2005):'principles'of'data' Quality. If+the+quality+of+the+data+sucks,+no+one+would+want+to+use+it:+It s+garbage+in,+ garbage+out. + +Focus+group+participant+ 3. Data)use)and)ownership:)Thesepoliciesregulateaccess,useanddistributionofdata. Generally,therearethreecases:a)closeddatacanonlybeaccessedbythedataownersor peoplewithinanorganisation,forreasonslikeprivacy,commercialsensitivityandsecurity; b)shareddataissharedwithspecificpeopleandorganisationsforaspecificpurpose:to provideservices,connectinformationandcontributetoresearch;andc)opendataisdata anyonecanaccess,useandshare.alsoconsiderdatausepoliciesforanonymisedand aggregatedata:thesecangenerallybesharedmorewidelythanindividualdatapoints.fora detaileddiscussionoflegalaspects,seeiseal'(2014):'draft'guidance'note'on'data' Protection'and'Information'Privacy.' Time+(and+other+resources)+ You+really+need+to+look+at+everything+that s+going+on+within+a+scheme,+how+it+ operates,+how+the+standard+is+defined,+how+the+data+is+collected+to+ensure+ that+you+get+everything+that s+necessary+in+order+to+perform+the+analysis+and+ then+to+be+able+to+make+use+of+the+information+you+get+out+of+it.+it s+a+big+ project. + +Focus+group+participant+ Justaswithstaff,workflowsandofficespace,datamanagementsystemsarecrucialbusiness resourcesthatimpacttheeffectivenessandrelevanceofastandardssystem.investinginsmartdata managementisastrategicdecision,notsomethingtheitdepartmentcandoonitsown.aschange takestime,standardssystemsneedtoplanfinancialresourcesandstaffingsothattheycan constantlyandstrategicallyworkonimprovingtheirsystemsonestepatatime.thisapproachisfar ISEALSmartDataReport 10

11 5.1Focusgroupconversations:Managingtechnologyinnovation moresuccessfulthanaonetoffinvestmentinasinglesystemthatissupposedtosolveevery problem(andthencannotbemaintainedorfailstomeettheevolvingneedsoftheusers). Collaboration+ If+we re+trying+to+create+parallel+systems,+people+will+get+frustrated. + +Focus+ group+participant+ Sustainabilitystandardsarenottheonlyorganisationstryingtousetechnologytofostersustainable productionandconsumptionpatterns.inmanycases,certificationbodies,tradeassociations,and largecorporationshaveinvestedintheirowndatamanagementsystems.duplicatingtheirefforts doesnotserveanyone instead,weneedtoworktowardsanecosystemofinterconnected technologysolutions. Fromastrophysicsandbiodiversityconservationtodevelopmentcooperation,thefocusgroups mentionedmanysectorsthathaveinvestedinastrategicandcollaborativeapproachtodata managementandsharing.whilethishasbeenatentyearjourneyforthemostsuccessfulofthem, theynowreapthebenefitsofmoretargetedinterventionsanddatatdrivendecisionsacross organisations. Examples)and)inspirations:)Managing)technology)innovation) Global)Biodiversity) Information)Facility) GBIFisaninternationalopen datainfrastructurefordata aboutalltypesoflifeonearth thatallowsinstitutionsto publishdataaccordingto commonstandards. GS1) Originallyfoundedtomanage thebarcodestandardusedby retailers,gs1nowmanagesa setofstandardsforsupply chainsandbusinessoperations. International)Aid)Transparency) Initiative) IATIisaglobalinitiativeto createtransparencyinthe recordsofhowaidmoneyis spent.itmanagesacommon datastandardandprovides accesstodatasets ISEALSmartDataReport 11

12 5.2Focusgroupconversations:Gatheringdata 5.2 Gathering)data) Important)concepts:)Gathering)data' Beyondtheusualandgenerallywidespreadtoolstogatherdataacrosssustainabilitystandards systems(paper,pdfreportsandtheoccasionalonlinesurvey),weidentifiedthreepotentialareasof technologyinnovationfordatagathering:+ 1. Smarter)audits)and)evaluationsTthroughimproveddatagatheringprocesses; 2. Machine)monitoringTdelegatingpartsofthedatagatheringprocesstocomputers;and 3. Everyone)as)a)data)sourceTtechnologyinnovationsthatinvolvemorepeopleindatagathering. Smarter+audits+and+evaluations Auditorsandevaluatorscanusemobiledevices(likesmartphonesandtablets)togatherdata directlyinastructuredformatandincorporateitinacentraldatabase.mostdevicescanalso automaticallycapturelocationdataand(georeferenced)images;theymightalsoincludeother sensors(likeanaccelerometer,compass,gyroscopeorbarometer)orcanreadfromthem.+ Ifthedataisconnectedinplaceswitheasyinternetconnectivity,wecanallowformobiledataentry byprovidingawebform.otherwiseweneedtomakeprovisionstogatherthedataofflinefirst,and thenuploaditlater(e.g.withamobileapplicationorothertemporarystorage).manyofflinedata gatheringtoolsalreadyexist(forexample,theredcrossmobiledatacollectiontoolkit).+ Insomecases,specialisedhardwarecanhelptogatherdata:telepresencerobotsandvideo cameras,forexample,cutdownontheneedforphysicalpresenceduringthedatagathering process,andunmannedaerialvehicles(uavs,morecommonlyknownasdrones)canprovidevisual informationfromabove.however,thesemachinesalsorequirebatteriesandnetworkaccess not tomentiontransportandmaintenance.+ Machine+monitoring Technologicallyadvancedproducerswillalreadyuseamixofsensorstomonitortheiroperations (e.g.electricityusage,wastewaterdischarge,nutrientcontent)ortheirworkers(e.g.withbiometric identificationorwearablesthatdetectstress).increasingly,devicesusedforthesepurposesare internettenabledandcommunicatetheirdatawirelessly thecollectiveofsuchconnecteddevicesis oftenreferredtowiththeterm InternetofThings.Beforetheresultingdataissuitablefor standardssystems,however,questionsofdataintegrationandownershipmustberesolved. Amoreobvioustechnologyforstandardssystemsisautomaticidentificationusingbarcodesand/or RFIDchips.Bothareameansoftrackingtagsattachedtoobjects:barcodesneedtobeinthelineof sightandarereadwithascanner,whilerfidchipsuseelectromagneticfieldstocommunicateand canbeembeddedintothetrackedobject.integratedinatraceabilitysystem,automatic identificationreducestheneedtomanuallycaptureinformationaboutthetransferofcertified products. Everyone+as+a+data+source Othernewandpotentialdatasourcescomefromusingstakeholderstoprovideinformationabout certifiedenterprises.thiscan,forexample,involveaskingcertificateholdersandtheirstaffto directlyselftreportabouttheiroperations,perhapswithassuranceproviderscheckingforintegrity ISEALSmartDataReport 12

13 5.2Focusgroupconversations:Gatheringdata andconductingspotchecks(likethetaxoffice).otheroptionswouldbetoaskexternalstakeholders toprovideinformationonspecificissues( crowdsourcing )ortoincorporaterelevantandpublicly availablesocialmediainformation(e.g.increasedtwitterreportsaboutairpollutioninacertain location).inbothcases,standardssystemsneedtotakeintoaccounta)thatnotallsourcesare 100%trustworthyandb)whatinformationisrelevanttoaskortoscanfor.+ Insomecases,standardssystemsdon tneedtogatheralldatathemselves,butcanuseexternal datasources(e.g.withgeographicormarketdata)managedbyotherorganisations.examplesfor publiclyavailabledatasourcesinclude: World'Database'on'Protected'Areas' Global'Land'Cover'Facility Open'Street'Map' SRTM'Land'Elevation'Data Amoreextensivelistofpubliclyaccessibleapplicationprogramminginterfacescanbefoundat ProgrammableWeb. Recommendations:)Gathering)data) Fromwearables,satellites,sensordata,barcodesandotheraccessoriesinthe InternetofThings, thereisnolackofnew,innovativetechnologythatcanhelpstandardssystemsgatherdata.in addition,wecanlookatinvitingstakeholdersandothersourcesintothedatagatheringprocess. However,whenweaskedthepanelofexpertswhereISEALmembersneedtofocus,theysuggested Figure)5.2)Visual)recording)of)focus)group)conversation)on)gathering)data) ISEALSmartDataReport 13

14 5.2Focusgroupconversations:Gatheringdata thatwestartwiththebasics: 1. Prioritise)mobile)data)collection.Phaseoutpaperorpdfreportsandensurethatalldatais immediatelyincludedinacloudtbaseddatastore.whereyoulackconnectivity,collectdata locallyontablets(oreventemporarilyonpaper)anduploaditassoonasyouhaveaccessto theinternet. Tablets+and+faceNtoNface+interviews+are+an+obvious+starting+point.+There+are+ already+1001+tools+out+there+that+are+very+cost+effective.+you+don t+need+to+ build+the+software+yourself Focus+group+participant+ 2. Build)a)shared)data)framework.Definethequestionsanddataformatsonwhichyouwant tocollectdata,toensuretheconsistentuseofthedatathroughoutyourdatamanagement system,avoidduplicatedatacollectionandslowlymovetowardssharingdatabetween differentorganisations.iseal(2013)hasalreadystartedtodefinesharedindicatorsinits report WorkingTogethertoDemonstrate&ImprovePovertyImpacts.Amoremature exampleforadatastandardistheopencontractingdatastandard. Use+a+wellNdefined+data+ scheme+to+classify+data.+ Wherever+possible,+pick+those+ that+are+used+across+ industries. ++ +Focus+group+participant+ Some+systems+and+industries+ might+be+capable+of+nearly+ fully+automated+audits+once+ you+get+the+framework+right Focus+group+participant+ Have+a+standard+that+says,+ We d+like+you+to+supply+this+ data+in+this+format, +depending+ on+how+it+literate+your+ stakeholders++really+are. ++ +Focus+group+participant+ 3. Be)open.)Overtime,you llwanttoexperimentwithaddingdatagatheringtechniquesor integratingexternalsourcesofdata:makesurethatyoursystemsremainflexibleenoughto evolveovertime:asyourdatadefinitionsanduserneedsevolve,youmightaddnewdata fieldsandtables,switchtodifferentformsofmeasurementorallowuserstocontribute unstructureddata. + You+can+create+an+interface+or+framework+that's+flexible+and+will+ accommodate+future+technologies;+something+that+can+allow+for+many+ different+ways+of+collection. + +Focus+group+participant+ Thedatagovernancepoliciesdiscussedaboveserveascorerequirementstosmartdatagathering. Theycanhelpustodesignincentivestogatherdatacorrectly,anonymisedataappropriatelyfor furtheruseandallowforsmarterdataflowbetweenorganisations. 5 Alistcanbefound,forexample,intheRedCrossMobileDataCollectionToolkit. ISEALSmartDataReport 14

15 5.2Focusgroupconversations:Gatheringdata )Figure)5.3)Emerging)technology)roadmap)on)gathering)data) Thisroadmappyramidshows)important) foundationsfordatagatheringinstandards systems. Future)directionsencompassslightly moreadvancedtechnologiesthatwe considerparticularlypromising. Technologiesattheverytopare optionalfornow:theyaremore complexorrisky,andwouldfill veryspecificneeds. Examples)and)inspirations:)Gathering)data) Red)Cross)Mobile)Data) Collection) TheAmericanRedCross maintainsatoolkitforopen datacollectiontoolsand materials,includingforms,gps dataandofflinemapuse. Ushahidi) CreatedtomappostTelection violenceinkenya,theopen sourceprojecthasgrownintoa comprehensiveplatformto crowdsourceinformationtobe sentviamobile. Greenpeace)Forest)Guardians) Volunteerscomparesatellite imagerythroughagametlike onlineplatform,helpingthe organisationidentifypossible areasofdeforestation. ISEALSmartDataReport 15

16 5.3Focusgroupconversations:Integratingdata 5.3 Integrating)data) Important)concepts:)Integrating)data) Whenweworkwithcomplexsetsofdatafrommultiplesources,weneedadatamanagement systemthatisuptothetask.threeconceptsareimportanttounderstand: 1. Databases 2. Datastandards 3. Interoperability Databases+ Whenmanaginginformation,youwillneedtoworkwithdatabases eitheronethatyouhave designedyourself,oronethatisincludedinoneoftheproductsyouuse.wecandifferentiate betweenthreemaintypesofdatastorage: Flatfiletables Flatfilesstoretabulardatainasimplebinary(e.g.Excel)orplaintext(e.g.csv)format.Flatfilescan onlymanagesimpledatastructuresandcanquicklyencounterproblems: Linksbetweentablesandthestructureofthedocumentrequiremanualmaintainance,often leadingtoinconsistencies. Queriesacrosstablesandfilesaredifficulttomaintain. Workingonafilewithmultipleusers,managingrevisionsand/ormakingthetableaccessible throughthewebcanbechallengingorevenimpossible. Relationaldatabases Insteadofonebigtable,relationaldatabasesmanagedatainasystemofrelatedtables,each indexedandlinkedwithuniqueids.everypieceofinformationisonlystoredonce.tablescanhave onettotonerelations(onecertificateperproducer),onettotmanyrelations(multiplecertificatesper certificationbody)ormanyttotmanyrelations(multiplecertificationbodiesperscheme,and multipleschemespercertificationbody). Usersgenerallydonotinteractwiththedatadirectly,insteadtheyusequeries e.g.usingthe structuredquerylanguagesql toa)answerspecificquestions e.g.howmanyenterpriseswere certifiedinthepastyearinindia? orb)accessthedatathroughacustominterface,eitheronthe web,onamobileorthroughadesktopapplication.examplesofrelationaldatabaseapplicationsare SalesforceorMicrosoftAccess. Beyondrelationaldatabases Oneofthedownsidesofrelationaldatabasesisthatonceyoursystemoftablesisinplace,itishard tochange.newcolumnsofdatawillrequireyoutoredouserinterfacesanddefinedqueries,and relationaldatabasescannoteffectivelyaddressdatathat scompletelyunstructuredorunknownin advance.largewebcompanieshavethusstartedtostorelargeamountsofdatainformatssuchas documentdatabasesorgraphstores.thesehandlevariancesindatatypes,aremoreeasilystored acrossmultipleservers,andareusuallyaccessedthroughapis.asanupcomingtechnology,fewoutt oftthetboxsolutionsexistasofyet. Independentoftheformatinwhichyouarestoringyourdata,makesurethatyouinvestinuserT friendlyinterfacesthatallowstaffandstakeholderstoaccessthemostimportantdetailsdirectly ISEALSmartDataReport 16

17 5.3Focusgroupconversations:Integratingdata and,perhaps,evenformulatetheirownqueries,rundashboardsanddownloadsubsetsofthedata.) Data)standards) Asyouwillneedtomanagedatafromavarietyofsources,itpaystoinvestindefiningtherulesby whichdataaredescribedandrecordedwithdatastandards.inordertoshare,exchangeand understanddata,wemuststandardisetheformat(includingunitsofmeasurement)aswellasthe meaning.thisisofparticularimportancewhenintegratingdatainalargersystemorexchanging databetweensystems.importantconceptsinclude: Unique)identifiers.)Whenexchangingdataaboutaspecificentity(e.g.apersonoracertifiedentity), you llneedtodefineafield(oracombinationoffields)thatallowsyoutomatchinformationabout thisentityfromdifferentsources.uniformresourceidentifiers(uris)useaschemesimilartoweb addressesforthispurpose. Data)schema.Everydatabasehasastructure( schema )thatdescribesitscontents,theirformats andtherelationshipsbetweenitemsofdata.whenmultipledatasourcesusedifferentdata formats,aschemacanbeusedtomapthoseformatsanddefinetranslationsandconversionsbefore theirintegrationintoabiggersystem.forexample,ifyourmobiledatacollectionsoftwarerecords datesinadifferentformatthanyourmaindatabase,youwouldstandardisethedatabefore importingitintothedatabase. Spatial)data.)Inmanyways,locationhasbecomethegluethatallowsorganisationstoconnect disparatesystemsanddatatypes.inmanyplaces,addressescanbeautomaticallymappedtogps coordinates.however,tobeabletocompareoverlapoflocationswith,forexample,protected areas,weneedtostorepolygondata aconnectedsequenceofcoordinatesinwhichthefirstand lastcoordinatearethesame.geographicinformationsystems(gis)candisplayandexchangethis data.examplesincludegoogleearthoresri. Interoperability) Onceyourdatastandardsaredefinedandoptimallyincorporatedintoyourdatabases,youcan connectdatafromdifferentsources.let slookatafewmodels: Manual)import.Inthiscase,youexportafilefromonesystemandimportitintotheother. Thismethodispracticalifa)datachangesinfrequentlyorisinfrequentlyusedandb)only thefirstsystemcanmakechangestothedataset. Automatic)access.Inthiscase,onesystemkeepsaflatfileofthedataavailable(onlineor throughalocalnetwork)inamachinetreadableformatsuchascsvorxml.theothersystem eitherreadsitfromtherewheneverneededorimportsitpermanently.again,onlythefirst systemcanmakechangestothedataset. Application)Programming)Interfaces)(APIs).Theseenabletheexchangeofinformation amongsystemsthatusedifferenttechnologies.ifyourchosenitsystemdoesnotofferan API,theintegrationofmultipledatasourcesandapossiblechangetoadifferentsystem latercanbecomeimpossible.commontechnologiesusedinapisincludejsonandajax. Ifyouhavemorethanonesystemoperatingonthesamedataset,youneedclearrulesand protocolstomanagethesynchronizationofdataandpreventsituationswheremultiplesystems makeconflictingchanges. ISEALSmartDataReport 17

18 5.3Focusgroupconversations:Integratingdata Figure)5.4)Visual)recording)of)focus)group)conversation)on)integrating)data Recommendations:)Integrating)data) Allfourexpertpanelsrepeatedlycamebacktotheimportanceofdataintegration,suggestingthat thisareawillprovidethebiggestbenefitsforstandardssystemsinvestingintechnologyinnovation. Ifweareseriousaboutmanagingtheimpactandoperationsofsustainabilitystandards,weneedto combinemultiplesourcesofinformation ourown(fromapplications,audits,stakeholders)and externalsources(marketdata,protectedareasetc.)whichcanprovidewidercontextandserveas counterfactuals.whilealotofworkcanbedonewithineachorganisationtobetterintegrateitsown data,evenmorebenefitsareseeninintegratingthedataflowacrossstandardsystemsandthen strategically(andselectively)makingthisdataavailabletoproducers,supplychainpartners,funders, andotherstandardssystems. Whenweaskedthefocusgroupexpertpanelhowtoconnectandmanageexistingdatasourcesin newwaystogainnewinsights,theyresponded: 1. Discover)what)exists.)Weneedtounderstandthedatawearealreadygathering(andwhere andhowitismanaged)beforewecanintegrateitbetter.inasecondstep,wecanlookfor externalsourcesofinformation( publicusefiles,e.g.satellitedata)toincorporate. What+are+the+ways+you+can+take+the+data+that s+in+spreadsheets,+existing+ systems+and+all+the+different+technologies?+can+you+have+a+common+way+of+ ISEALSmartDataReport 18

19 5.3Focusgroupconversations:Integratingdata sharing+that+and+communicating+that+through+either+flat+files+or+application+ programming+interfaces? + +Focus+group+participant+ 2. Define)a)data)standard.Fordatathatissharedbetween(andwithin)organisations,weneed todefineexchangeformats( schemas )ormachinetaccessibleinterfaces( APIs )toensure thatdatacanbeimportedandexportedcorrectly.insomecases,thismightrequiredata mappingortranslation. For+me,+a+successful+example+ is+the+stock+exchange+or+ international+payments.+what+ they+did+is+standardise+the+ data+exchange. + +Focus+group+participant+ Helping+people+understand+ data+is+very+much+about+ having+people+have+a+similar+ vocabulary+to+talk+about+what+ they+are+trying+to+express Focus+group+participant+ Instead+of+getting+into+the+ different+organisation's+data+ systems,+the+role+that+iseal+ should+take+is+to+define+an+ exchange+format Focus+group+participant+ 3. Map)certified)enterprises.Locationdata( polygons )isessentialformanyapplicationslike detectingdoublecertification,calculatingimpactbycountry,overlayingsatellitedata. LocationdatawillalsoformthefoundationforauniqueproducerIDthatallowsforeasy exchange.+ The+need+for+polygons+to+map+the+producers+is+absolutely+essential.+Once+you+ have+these+polygons+mapped,+then+you+can+use+tools+like+global+forest+watch,+ and+their+annual+data+synthesis+to+monitor+your+farm's+progress. + +Focus+ group+participant+ One+of+the+first+steps+to+this+is+an+ISEAL+requirement+to+have+polygons+for+ production+area. + +Focus+group+participant+ ISEALSmartDataReport 19

20 5.3Focusgroupconversations:Integratingdata )Figure)5.5)Emerging)technology)roadmap)on)integrating)data) Thisroadmappyramidshows)important) foundationsfordataintegrationinstandards systems. Future)directionsencompassslightlymore advancedtechnologiesthatweconsider particularlypromising. Technologiesattheverytopare optionalfornow:theyaremore complexorrisky,andwouldfill veryspecificneeds. Examples)and)inspirations:)Integrating)data) OpenCorporates) Integratesdatafromdifferent publicsourcestoincrease transparencyinthecorporate world. Global)Forest)Watch)API) GlobalForestWatchoffersa publicapplication Programminginterfaceto accessanddownloaddata. Open)Contracting)Data) Standard) Anexampleforasimple, machinetreadableandeasyttot understandopendatastandard toenhanceandpromote disclosureandparticipationin publiccontracting. ISEALSmartDataReport 20

21 5.4Focusgroupconversations:Analysingdata 5.4 Analysing)data) Important)concepts:)Analysing)data) Organisationsworldwidestrugglewiththechallengeofmakingsenseofgrowingdatasets,andare lookingfortechniquesandtoolstotransformrawdataintomeaningfulandusefulinformation. Whilethereisalwaysmoretobelearnedfromdata,itisimportanttoseethisnotasanacademic exercise,butasatooltoenabledatatdrivendecisionmakingacrosstheorganisation. Figure)5.6)Emerging)fields)of)data)analysis)and)their)relationships) Data+discovery+ DatadiscoverymakesiteasierforendTuserstointeractwithdataandtoruntheirownanalysis.This mightincludeinteractivereports,datavisualisationanddashboardsandtheabilitytoexploreand exportdatafrommultiplesources.theobjectivehereistoprovideaquickandusertfriendly overviewofthedataavailable,andallowtheusertoexplorefurthereitherbydownloadingdatato theirlocalmachineorbydirectlydrillingdownintomoredetails. Data+science+ Despitethebuzzwords,alargepartofdatascienceconsistsoftheclassicaltoolsofstatistical analysisappliedtomorecomplexdataandlargersamples.insomecases,machinelearning(a branchofartificialintelligence)canhelptodetectpatternsinlargerorlessstructureddata collections,e.g.forfrauddetection,predictiveanalysisanddatamining. Big+data+ Inthiscontext,moststandardssystemsarestillworkingonbuildingtheir smalldata processes withsufficientdataqualityandcapacityforanalysis.fornow,thereisnoneedtoworryabout big data datasetssolargeandcomplexthattraditionaldataprocessingapplicationsareinadequate. Metadata(or dataaboutdata,sometimesalsocalled invisibledata )mightcontaininformation abouthowlongadocumentis,whenitwaspostedorwherethedatacomesfrom.apattern analysismightyieldusefulinformation forexample,howlongittakescertificateholdersto respondtoacorrectiveactionrequest. Recommendations:)Analysing)data) ISEALSmartDataReport 21

22 5.4Focusgroupconversations:Analysingdata Figure)5.7)Visual)recording)of)focus)group)conversation)on)analysing)data Thebusinessworldisripewithbuzzwordsarounddataanalysis frombigdataandmachine learningtopredictiveanalyticsandbusinessintelligence.beforestandardssystemscanfullytake advantageofthesedevelopmentstoanswersomeofthejuicyquestionsaroundcertificationand impactinthelongrun,wefirstneedtofigureoutthebasicsofdataintegrationandanalysis. Standardssystemsaremanagingdataformanypurposes,andtheyneedtogetbetteratusingtheir datatoinformtheirdecisions.datascienceisanexcitingandemergingfieldthatcanhelpusmake senseofthecomplexitythatwearemanaging.ourpanelofexpertsrecommended: 1. Make)it)visual.)Spreadsheetsareterribleatrepresentingcomplexdata andhumansare terribleatunderstandingspreadsheets.identifythemostimportantbusinessindicators ( KPIs )andcreatevisualreportsshowingchangeovertime.youcanusethistechniqueto reportonaspecificproducer,forexample,oreventodiscoverpatternsacrosstheentirety ofyourdata. There+is+a+lot+of+desire+to+boil+down+the+information+that+comes+out+into+a+ more+simplistic+report+like+a+dashboard+that+says+you+need+to+check+out+ what s+going+on+with+this+certification+body. + +Focus+group+participant+ 2. Learn)to)love)database)queries.)It simpossibletoidentifyallquestionsinadvance,butitis possibletolearntospeakthelanguageofyourdatabaseandcreatecustomqueriesand reportsasyougoalong.itpaysofftoinvestinsomedatamanagementandanalysisskillson staff. ISEALSmartDataReport 22

23 5.4Focusgroupconversations:Analysingdata ISEALSmartDataReport 23 I+think+you+have+to+combine+the+technology+with+subject+matter+expertise. + +Focus+group+participant+ If+people+have+just+been+used+to+analysing+things+in+Excel,+then+having+an+ online+tool+is+maybe+something+they+need+to+get+used+to+operating. + +Focus+ group+participant+ 3. Start)small)and)stay)agile.)Ifyoubreakdowntheprocessstepbystep,youaremuchmore likelytosucceed.focusonspecificproblems,questionsandsetsofdata,andmakesureto delivervaluefromthebeginning.aslongasyoursolutionsstaycompatibletooneanother, you llbefine. Sometimes+you ll+come+with+an+idea+about+having+something+specific+you+ want+to+go+and+research:+how+do+instances+of+this+particular+nonn conformance+relate+to+the+type+of+farming+activities+that+are+going+on?+and+ sometimes+you+just+want+to+try+and+discover+patterns+from+the+overall+set+of+ data. + +Focus+group+participant+ Figure)5.8)Emerging)technology)roadmap)on)analysing)data) Thisroadmappyramid)shows)important) foundationsfordataanalysisinstandards systems. Future)directionsareslightlymore advancedtechnologiesthatwe considerparticularlypromising. Technologiesattheverytopare optionalfornow:theyaremore complexorrisky,andwould fillveryspecificneeds. Examples)and)inspirations:)Analysing)data) Protected)Planet.org) Interfacefortheglobal databaseofprotectedareas; allowsforbrowsing,download andanalysisofdata. Wolfram)Data)Drop) Webservicethathelpsanalyse datafromsensors,devicesor othersources. D3) SmallandveryflexibleopenT sourcejavascriptlibraryfor manipulatingandvisualising documentsbasedondata.

24 5.5Focusgroupconversations:Sharingdata 5.5 Sharing)data) Important)concepts:)Sharing)data) PeerNtoNpeer+trust+networks+ Whendesigningsolutionsfortraceability,weneedtoverifytransactionstoprotectagainstattempts tomanipulatethesystemandensureoneviewofthecurrentdistributionofcertifiedproducts.a centralisedsystemcouldbeonesolution,howeversuchasystemconcentratesriskandpotential failure.peerttotpeerprotocolsallowseveralparticipantstodistributethistaskbetweenthem.this approach,forexample,isusedinfilesharingplatforms(suchasnapsterorbittorrent):anygiven participantmightonlystorepartsofthedesiredfileontheircomputer.bydownloadingfrom multipleothersinparallel,ausercaneasilyobtainthefullfilerequested. AsimilarapproachisbehindthedigitalcurrencyBitcoin:Alltransactionsarerecordedinan anonymouspublicledgercalledtheblockchain.changestotheledgerarebroadcasttoall participantsinthenetworkwhocanthenindependentlyverifywhetheragivencoinhasbeenspent. Preliminaryinitiativestoapplyblockchaintechnologytosupplychaintransactionsandother contractshavebeendeveloped.' Open+data+ Dataisconsideredtobe open ifanyonecanfreelyuse,retuseandredistributeit,foranypurpose, withoutrestrictions.manyorganisationspublishdataonlytobereadasstandtalonedocuments,not retusedforotherpurposes.tobeconsidered open, thedatamustberetusable,meaningitcanbe downloadedinopenformatsandreadbysoftware,andusershavealegalrighttoretuseit. Opendataenablesindividualsandorganisationstoinnovateandcollaborateinnewways.Providing rawdatainmachinetreadableandretusableformatsincreasestransparencyandaccountabilityand allowsotherstobuildonitwithnewconnections,knowledge,andservices.italsoaidsorganisations involvedinstandardssystemstoaccessinformationandcollaborateondataquality.opendatais increasinglybecomingarequirementforgranttfundedprojectsandcooperativedevelopmentwork. TimBernersTLee 6 suggesteda5tstarroadmaptowardslinkedopendata: Availableontheweb(whateverformat)withanopenlicense.) AvailableasmachineTreadablestructureddata(e.g.Excelinsteadofimagescan ofatable) Alloftheaboveplus:nonTproprietaryformat(e.g.csvinsteadofExcel) Alltheaboveplus:useofopenstandardstoidentifydata,toallowforothers tolinktoyourresources Alltheabove,plus:abilitytolinkyourdatatootherpeople sdatatoprovide context Networked)data)analysis) Ourinternalcapacitytolearnfromdatawillalwaysbelimited,andwecanbenefitfromallowing otherorganisations,scientists,governmentsandvolunteerstomoreactivelyuseourdata.onceyou havedataavailable,youcancreatespecificopportunitiestoharnessittogeneratetangiblevaluesor 6 Isyourlinkedopendata5star?TimBernersTLee,2010.Availableonline.) ISEALSmartDataReport 24

25 5.5Focusgroupconversations:Sharingdata results:citizenscience,forexample,isawaytoinvolveamateursinscientificresearch.ahackathon isaneventinwhichcomputerprogrammersandotherinterestedindividualscollaborateintensively onsoftwareprojects,oftenforspecificcauses.opendatachallengesawardprizemoneytothebest opendatainnovationasasolutiontosocialissues. Recommendations:)Sharing)data) Tobeofvalueforacommunityofusers,standardssystemshaveaninterestinsharingcredibledata inapromptandtransparentmannerwithproducers,supplychainparticipants,andother stakeholders.theexpertpanelrecommended: 1. Link)up)with)others.Thereisarichworldofexistingopendatainitiativesintheagriculture anddevelopmentworld(andbeyond).wecanbuildonexistingdatastandardvocabulary anddefinitions,andtakeadvantageofdatasourcesanddiscoveryplatformstoincreasedata visibility.collaborationwithothersinterestedinsimilardataisboundtoyielddeeper insightsandimpact. + You+end+up+with+a+network+of+people+disseminating+information+and+data+ products+faster+than+i+think+lots+of+organisations+could+do+this+themselves Focus+group+participant+ 2. Provide)value.)Ourdatadoesnotexistinavacuum.Wehavearesponsibilitytoprovide feedbackwithbenefits toproducersandidentifyimmediatewinstoshowthemthevalue oftheircontribution. A+good+system+that+has+credible+realNtime+data+needs+feedback+loops,+it+ needs+incentives+for+people+to+share+that+data+so+that+it s+not+a+kind+of+ another+big+stick.+you+must+share+your+data+so+that+people+see+the+benefits+ and+users+are+heavily+engaged+in+that+process+of+creating+the+standard,+ shaping+what+they+look+like+and+using+data. + +Focus+group+participant+ This+is+the+real+world+and+business+is+tough,+and+if+we're+going+to+compete+ and+really+add+value,+we+need+to+be+realistic+about+what's+going+on+out+there.+ The+theories+of+change,+it+all+goes+back+to+you+really+need+to+understand+the+ behavioural+drivers. + +Focus+group+participant+ ISEALSmartDataReport 25

26 5.5Focusgroupconversations:Sharingdata )Figure)5.9)Visual)recording)of)focus)group)conversation)on)sharing)data 3. Open)data.)Wheneverweprovidedatatobeusedpublicly,wecanalsomakemachineT readablesourcesavailableunderanopenlicense(e.g.creativecommons).thisallows stakeholderstodotheirownanalysisandcontributeinsightsthatwemaynothavefound ourselves. We+have+to+open+a+larger+community+because+the+more+we+open,+the+more+ we+will+get+in+return.+people+will+realise+that+data+is+at+the+heart+of+ everything. + +Focus+group+participant+ Where+are+there+more+roles+for+more+people+to+help+with+that+validation+and+ verification?+we+can+create+the+tools+or+toolkits+for+them,+educate+people+on+ what+they+are+looking+for+and+provide+them+a+place+to+share+their+results. + +Focus+group+participant+ Balancing+confidentiality+and+transparency+ Movingtoaconnecteddataecosystemmeansaddressingquestionsofsecurity,confidentialityand transparency.afewpointersfromthefocusgroupconversations: Ingeneral,usersshouldhaveownershipoftheirowndataanddeterminehow,andby whom,theirdatacanbeused. ISEALSmartDataReport 26

27 5.5Focusgroupconversations:Sharingdata Schemeownersneedtoincludedatauseprovisionsinthecontractstheyhavewith certificateholdersandspecifywhatdataneedstobeprovidedandhowitwillbeused afterwards. Thedatamanagingorganisationneedstoensureprivacyofpersonalinformation, confidentialityofcommercialdataanddatasecurity. Overtime,organisationsshouldstrivetomovetheirpoliciestowardsmoresharedandopen datatoremainrelevant. Asdiscussedinsection5.1Datagovernanceandquality,alldatafallsintooneofthreecategories:a) closeddatacanonlybeaccessedbythedataownersorpeoplewithinanorganisation,forreasons likeprivacy,commercialsensitivityandsecurity;b)shareddataissharedwithspecificpeopleand organisationsforaspecificpurpose:toprovideservices,connectinformationandcontributeto research;andc)opendataisdataanyonecanaccess,useandshare.certaindatapoints(suchas priceorvolume)mightonlyeverbepublishedandsharedinaggregateand/oranonymisedform. )Figure)5.10)Emerging)technology)roadmap)on)sharing)data) Thisroadmappyramidshows)important) foundationsfordatasharinginstandards systems. Future)directionsareslightlymore advancedtechnologiesthatwe considerparticularlypromising. Technologiesattheverytopare optionalfornow:theyare morecomplexorrisky,and wouldfillveryspecific needs. Examples)and)inspirations:)Sharing)data) Open)Data)Tools) Visualdirectoryofusefultools fordealingwithopendata. World)Bank)Open)Data)Catalog) Morethan200WorldBank curateddatasources. Ethereum) Decentralisedsoftware platformthatpowerssmart contractsusingblockchain technology. ISEALSmartDataReport 27