[okfn-za] Open data in South Africa

Tue Nov 19 12:39:39 UTC 2013

I think there needs to be a link between the emergency services and weather
warnings.
For example, in the WC it always seems every year there is very little pre-
emitve preparation ahead of the rainy season.
Surely families should be given the necessary materials ahead of the season
than the trucks trying to get sandbags in AFTER the flooding. This is the
same for storm damage in Limpopo for schools.

Just a thought.

thoko

*__________________________________________*

On 19 November 2013 14:25, Adi Eyal <adi at code4sa.org> wrote:

> Apart from regurgitating the weather report, is there specific contextual
> intelligence that you think could be useful? I don't know much about how
> that sort of information is used.
>
> Adi
>
>
> On 19 November 2013 11:32, Robert Elliott <robert at graphflow.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi Adi,
>>
>> My 2 cents: the devastation in Philippines, tornados in US and flooding
>> in Cape Town got me thinking about how basic services (energy, healthcare,
>> education, emergency services, water supply, food supply [i see the top
>> story today is about how a hailstorm has destroyed fruit crops in WC] etc.)
>> are affected during extreme weather.
>>
>> Weather data and predictions are already available. You could start to
>> look at a single service and expand at a later point.
>>
>> Ciao, Rob
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Nov 19, 2013 at 5:53 AM, Adi Eyal <adi at code4sa.org> wrote:
>>
>>>  Thanks for the interesting email Axolile
>>>
>>> > We have had the most difficulties when having to access some financial
>>> > information on service delivery agreements/ tenders. Budgeting
>>> information,
>>> > policies and informal settlements statistics have also been difficult
>>> to
>>> > get. We are now working on using cellphones and social media to make
>>> the
>>> > information accessible to everyone, especially the poor in informal
>>> > settlements who often don't get have access.
>>> >
>>>
>>> Funnily enough, my gut re-action would be that the most difficult
>>> thing would be to get people to use the information. Getting data of
>>> course is often hard and frustrating but we already have oodles of
>>> data that very few people are using. Is it too early to share your
>>> insights around usage of information by consumers?
>>>
>>> > That being said, we are still looking for ways of accessing the
>>> information
>>> > ourselves without much or any difficulties. any help you guys can
>>> provide
>>> > would be much appreciated.
>>>
>>> >
>>> > Also, you mentioned once that you have access to information on tender
>>> > resolutions from the City of Cape Town. It would be great if you can
>>> share
>>> > that information with us.
>>>
>>> being a complete data nerd, I'm always happy to dig my teeth into an
>>> ATI problem. When requesting access to tender award contracts, the
>>> City of Cape Town accused me of being "frivolous and vexatious", which
>>> only encouraged me more.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get the actual contracts (they're only
>>> stored in hard-copy format and require manually scanning). I did get
>>> the tender resolutions for 2013 - you can find them here:
>>> https://docs.openafrica.net/search/group:%20code4sa
>>>
>>> If that's not convenient, let me know and I'll upload them as a zip
>>> file somewhere.
>>>
>>> Adi
>>>
>>> > Regards,
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 2:08 PM, Adi Eyal <adi at code4sa.org> wrote:
>>> >>
>>> >> That's the longest quick note I have ever seen :)
>>> >>
>>> >> On 18 November 2013 11:06, Murray Hunter <murray at r2k.org.za> wrote:
>>> >> > A very quick note from R2K's experience - the bulk of our
>>> membership is
>>> >> > made
>>> >> > up of front-line civic organisations whose primary concern is
>>> service
>>> >> > delivery, usually led by volunteer staff with low tech literacy.
>>> R2K's
>>> >> > role
>>> >> > has mainly been in matching these orgs with PAIA-savvy organisations
>>> >> > like
>>> >> > SAHA and ODAC (since they handle the direct access-to-info needs of
>>> >> > R2K's
>>> >> > constituent organisations).
>>> >>
>>> >> My feeling is that a missing ingredient here is tech-oriented
>>> >> non-profits (or socially-minded for-profits) who can bridge the gap
>>> >> between data and information.
>>> >>
>>> >> > This points to a number of challenges and shortcomings in the civil
>>> >> > society
>>> >> > environment: lack of analytic or technocratic capacity, low research
>>> >> > skills,
>>> >> > tech literacy - and, quite possibly, a vexing lack of imagination
>>> on our
>>> >> > part when it comes to developing tools to mitigate all of the
>>> above. (It
>>> >> > also suggests is that much of the time, PAIA just isn't the tool
>>> for the
>>> >> > job, in as much as "access to information" requests are often really
>>> >> > about
>>> >> > access to process and access to decision makers - i.e. citizens
>>> don't
>>> >> > want
>>> >> > the 400-page document justifying decisions, they want the person who
>>> >> > made
>>> >> > the decisions to come down to a community hall and explain those
>>> >> > decisions.)
>>> >>
>>> >> I completely agree. 400 page documents need to be broken down into
>>> >> bite-sized information that can help me choose a better school for my
>>> >> child or lobby for better services from my municipality. Heavy
>>> >> advocacy work has its place but naively, I would like to think that if
>>> >> ordinary people had the right information, they could make better
>>> >> decisions to improve their own lives as well as those of their
>>> >> neighbours.
>>> >>
>>> >> > All this has made me personally sceptical of easy fixes of the
>>> 'tech for
>>> >> > transparency' variety - not to reject the concept out of hand, but
>>> >> > because
>>> >> > because even civil society initiatives that have managed to bridge
>>> the
>>> >> > vast
>>> >> > gap between those who have the skills and those who have the need,
>>> are
>>> >> > still
>>> >> > figuring out what the hell to do with it.
>>> >>
>>> >> Technology, especially hi-tech, is the wrong target. It is expensive
>>> >> and has limited value. It is easy to get intoxicated by whizz-bang
>>> >> when a piece of paper has more value. Having said that, a light touch
>>> >> with technology could increase reach and potentially have larger
>>> >> impact than a non-tech approach.
>>> >> >
>>> >> > I'm curious to know if Ndifuna Ukwazi and SJC have had success in
>>> the
>>> >> > past
>>> >> > year?
>>> >>
>>> >> We all are.
>>> >>
>>> >> Thanks for your thoughts.
>>> >>
>>> >> Adi
>>> >> >
>>> >> > MH
>>> >> >
>>> >> > Murray Hunter
>>> >> >
>>> >> > Right2Know Campaign
>>> >> > www.r2k.org.za
>>> >> > @r2kcampaign
>>> >> > c: 072 672 5468
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >> > On 18 November 2013 10:06, Justin Arenstein <
>>> justinarenstein at gmail.com>
>>> >> > wrote:
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Adi,
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Hi. I think this is a crucial question, & think you should also be
>>> >> >> pinging
>>> >> >> ATI / PAIA orgs like ODAC and SAHA and R2K and SAHRC, etc,
>>> directly.
>>> >> >> Advocacy and policy work is obviously important, but only if
>>> citizens
>>> >> >> use
>>> >> >> the results. Civil society and activists seem to be struggling to
>>> >> >> translate
>>> >> >> 'ivory tower' policy work into tangible 'real world' benefits or
>>> >> >> services
>>> >> >> for ordinary citizens. It would therefore be good to understand
>>> whether
>>> >> >> the
>>> >> >> organisations at the forefront of ATI advocacy know of any tools /
>>> >> >> services
>>> >> >> that impact on ordinary citizens in a demonstratable / measurable
>>> way.
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Cheers,
>>> >> >> Justin
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Justin Arenstein
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> SA Mobile: +27.82.374.0812
>>> >> >> US Mobile: +1.650.336.5878
>>> >> >> Skype: JustinArenstein
>>> >> >> Twitter: JustinArenstein
>>> >> >> Web: http://www.linkedin.com/in/JustinArenstein
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> PGP Key Fingerprint: 8B19 3C53 2B40 453B F48D 9D7A 7346 A3AE DB88
>>> 30CD
>>> >> >> Do you want to email me confidentially? See: http://bit.ly/VLJt1N
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> On 18 November 2013 08:46, Adi Eyal <adi at code4sa.org> wrote:
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>> Hi All
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>> I'm looking for access to information type projects in South
>>> Africa
>>> >> >>> that actually reach end-users and have impact on improving human
>>> >> >>> rights, social justice issues, service delivery or other hot
>>> button
>>> >> >>> issues.
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>> Transport apps and pretty visualisations are sexy but I'm looking
>>> for
>>> >> >>> examples that have real impact. I am struggling a little and I was
>>> >> >>> hoping for input from these mailing lists.
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>> Adi
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>> --
>>> >> >>> Adi Eyal
>>> >> >>> Strategy
>>> >> >>> Code for South Africa
>>> >> >>> Promoting informed decision-making
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>> phone: +27 78 014 2469
>>> >> >>> skype: adieyalcas
>>> >> >>> linkedin: http://za.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Adi/Eyal
>>> >> >>> web: http://www.code4sa.org
>>> >> >>> twitter: @soapsudtycoon
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>> For more information on how to participate in the open data
>>> community
>>> >> >>> in South Africa, go to: http://www.code4sa.org/#community
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>> --
>>> >> >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>>> >> >>> Groups
>>> >> >>> "Open Data and Democracy Initiative (ODADI)" group.
>>> >> >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it,
>>> send
>>> >> >>> an
>>> >> >>> email to odadi+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com.
>>> >> >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> --
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>>> >> >> an
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>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >> > --
>>> >> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>>> >> > Groups
>>> >> > "Open Data and Democracy Initiative (ODADI)" group.
>>> >> > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it,
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>>> >> > an
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>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> --
>>> >> Adi Eyal
>>> >> Director
>>> >> Code for South Africa
>>> >> Promoting informed decision-making
>>> >>
>>> >> phone: +27 78 014 2469
>>> >> skype: adieyalcas
>>> >> linkedin: http://za.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Adi/Eyal
>>> >> web: http://www.code4sa.org
>>> >> twitter: @soapsudtycoon
>>> >>
>>> >> For more information on how to participate in the open data community
>>> >> in South Africa, go to: http://www.code4sa.org/#community
>>> >>
>>> >> --
>>> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>>> Groups
>>> >> "Open Data and Democracy Initiative (ODADI)" group.
>>> >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it,
>>> send an
>>> >> email to odadi+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com.
>>> >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > Axolile Notywala
>>> > Imali Yethu Project Manager
>>> > Social Justice Coalition
>>> > www.sjc.org.za
>>> > Tel/Cell: +27213618160 / +27743861584
>>> > Twitter: @Xila_Notywala
>>> > Skype: axolile.notywala
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>>> Groups
>>> > "Open Data and Democracy Initiative (ODADI)" group.
>>> > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
>>> an
>>> > email to odadi+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com.
>>> > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Adi Eyal
>>> Director
>>> Code for South Africa
>>> Promoting informed decision-making
>>>
>>> phone: +27 78 014 2469
>>> skype: adieyalcas
>>> linkedin: http://za.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Adi/Eyal
>>> web: http://www.code4sa.org
>>> twitter: @soapsudtycoon
>>>
>>> For more information on how to participate in the open data community
>>> in South Africa, go to: http://www.code4sa.org/#community
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> <http://www.graphflow.com>
>> Robert Elliott | Co-founder
>> robert at graphflow.com | +27 71 882 4222 | @greenafrican<http://twitter.com/greenafrican>
>>
>> GraphFlow | Product, user and content recommendations
>> www.graphflow.com | @graphflow <http://twitter.com/graphflow>
>>
>>
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>>
>
>
> --
> Adi Eyal
> Director
> Code for South Africa
> Promoting informed decision-making
>
> phone: +27 78 014 2469
> skype: adieyalcas
> linkedin: http://za.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Adi/Eyal
> web: http://www.code4sa.org
> twitter: @soapsudtycoon
>
> For more information on how to participate in the open data community in
> South Africa, go to: http://www.code4sa.org/#community
>
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