I nā kualono: towards systems change in data science capacity for the Hawai`i-Pacific region

in 'Ōlelo Hawai'i: kualono is the ridge line that joins mountaintops, the highest point of the ahupua’a. I nā kualono describes traveling and approaching those mountain ridges.

WHAT we are doing: Targeting SYSTEMS CHANGE

"Systems change is an approach to tackling the root causes of a problem by identifying and creating shifts in the systems that are responsible for the problem."  Ashokat.
We are working to improve the Hawaii-Pacific data ecosystem of data sets, practitioners and consumers of data in support of the region.

HOW we work: Through a COLLECTIVE IMPACT FRAMEWORK

  • NSF INCLUDES Alliances focus on systems change through a Collective Impact framework

  • Collective Impact emphasizes partnering organizations achieving change through:

    • forming a backbone organization of committed partners

    • identifying a mutually shared agenda for change

    • performing mutually reinforcing activities

    • maintaining open and continuous communication

    • conducting shared measurement to track progress and identify impacts

ALL-SPICE SYSTEMS CHANGE LEVERS:

Lever 1:

Develop skills and resources in individuals and communities for empowered engagement with data. providing access to data science careers and meeting employer needs.

ALL-SPICE SYSTEMS CHANGE APPROACHES:

Capacity Building through training and education (Lever 1)

ALL-SPICE programs directly impact Pacific data capacity through education, training, and workforce development

Example initiatives:

  • Data Science major and minor serves Hawaii-Pacific students

  • Research internships and employer internships provide early experience working real-world use cases and pathways to graduate placement

  • DataSkills, Summer Immersion and UN Short Course Certifications offered to Hawaii and USAPI participants

  • Training programs and certifications build individual and organizational relationships with data and skillsets

Lever 2:

Effect changes in policy and practice level to ensure fair data access and improve the quality and quantity of Pacific data for decision support.

Lever 3:

Decrease impacts of misinformation and disinformation and support regionally-tailpored data sceince tool and methods.

Pacific data for effective decision support (Lever 2)

Identifying, highlighting and mitigating issues that weaken Pacific data (e.g., gaps in the data, age of the data, aggregated data, statistical practices that impact small communities, language and translation needs)

Example initiatives:

  • EWC faculty Hattori and Watanabe responded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Interagency Working Group on Race and Ethnicity Standards (RESS), with new standards adopted in May 2024

  • Alliance analyst Connor Flynn is mentoring student research projects assessing data gaps for Small Island Developing States across UN SDG indicators in areas such as criminal justice, aid, health.

  • Development of the Language Finder app

Countering misinformation and disinformation (Lever 3)

Addressing the destabilizing influences of information pollution on Pacific communities, developing and implementing data-science and educational Counter Malign Information (CMI) solutions

Example initiatives:

Measuring Systems Change (Lever 1, 2, 3)