Funded by the World Bank, the Data Literacy Certification Program aimed to strengthen data literacy to enhance data users’ capacity to better understand and use available data, with an equity and inclusion lens. EWMI’s unique approach to these workshops was to target the training not only to those who work directly with data, but also to those that benefit significantly by leveraging data skills in their current roles. As a result, the project’s workshops saw diverse participation ranging from researchers and designers to activists and governmental staff. The workshop curricula focused on developing technical skills such as data visualization as well as analytical and critical thinking skills to evaluate the importance of open data and data ethics.

The Phase I program included two parallel tracks: the Data Literacy Certification Program, which included an emphasis on equity and inclusion and a training of trainers (ToT) program; and a series of targeted “lighter touch” workshops on basic data literacy with a similar emphasis. The Data Literacy Certification program comprised a “deep dive” training delivered at 4-week intervals across five months. These units included a tactful and contextually appropriate emphasis on equity and inclusion within the technical data literacy capacity development. The ToT component of this program entailed the identification and capacity development of selected trainers who were provided with ToT mentorship during the implementation of the Data Certification Course to enable them to deliver part or all of the program content, including embedding parts or all of it in their local institutions. EWMI also convened four targeted workshops for 240 participants that included awareness-raising, informational, and targeted capacity development components focused on the intersection of data and equity/inclusion. Workshops were tailored to cohort members’ needs on the basis of consultations and collaboration with the World Bank’s Yangon team. These workshops delivered basic/introductory data literacy capacity development for selected participants.

Phase II of this program built upon the lessons learned in Phase I. The objective of these Phase II training workshops was to scale up data literacy among selected stakeholders in Yangon, Myanmar, including NGOs, governmental institutions, academic institutions, news media organizations; and CSOs. Delivery of this project enhanced data users’ capacity to understand and use available data, including with an equity and inclusion lens.