TIP SHEET: UNDERSTANDING DATA ECOSYSTEMS

A data ecosystem consists of the data management activities and related data, infrastructure, tools, processes, stakeholders and applicable guidance in a context. Understanding how the different components of a data ecosystem relate to one another and how data moves within and between organisations helps to ensure that data is managed in a responsible way. Furthermore, the development of data management registries, diagrams and data ecosystem maps improves the transparency of data management in humanitarian response.

There are three steps to understanding data ecosystems in a humanitarian response:

• Developing an organisation-level data management registry and activity diagrams.
• Compiling registries at the cluster/sector-level and system-wide level.
• Developing data ecosystem maps.

This tip sheet offers instructions and templates for completing these steps in line with the IASC Operational Guidance on Data Responsibility in Humanitarian Action. Following the three steps presented in this tip sheet can lead to a better understanding of the actors, data flows and opportunities for improving data management across a data ecosystem. JIPS and the OCHA Centre for Humanitarian Data are both available to support organisations interested in developing these outputs.