Equity Through Data and Privacy Program Launches in San Jose
Source: GovTech
The city of San Jose has launched its Equity Through Data and Privacy Program, which aims to improve both equity and accountability in the way the city serves its residents.
Governments are increasingly implementing a data-driven approach to this sort of work, from state government using data to transform processes to using data to understand gaps and opportunities in broadband expansion or equitable transit.
Announced at the end of June 2022, the program will involve new data collection processes that the city can scale, paired with community outreach to be transparent about the effort and its intended impact, as explained by the city’s Chief Innovation Officer Clay Garner.
The program will also include the hiring of the city’s first equity through data lead, as well as two community impact fellows. The new team will be co-led by the city’s digital privacy officer.
This particular program is a joint effort between the Mayor’s Office of Technology and Innovation (MOTI), the Office of Racial Equity and the Information Technology Department. The creation of this program was supported by a three-year, $750,000 investment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.