WHAT WE DO

Digital Governance

Investments in & Incentives for Data Policy

Our partners operate in complex environments, including rapid political and technological change, with complex challenges. Technology alone will not solve challenges of trust and effectiveness – clear, inclusive data governance protocols are necessary to ensure technology reflects rights and accountability. DG excels at the provision of bespoke advice and support in the development of digital and data strategies and policies.

We support governance for data sharing and standards and work with both technical and non-technical partners in institutions to build out the governance protocols required for tool uptake and effective data management. Rather than rigid rules, we provide living guidance that can be adapted in a way that is responsive to the rapid evolution and advancement of technologies. Whether you are exploring how to leverage AI in your work, share data safely, build effective data systems, or foster a data culture within your institution, our multidisciplinary team of policy experts, lawyers, and technologists is ready to support you.

Online Safety

We help make digital spaces safer for all, deploying IREX’s technical expertise with DG’s digital excellence for improved policy and tools to combat digital harm.
Testing Global Standards and Frameworks
DG serves as a middle node between global frameworks and standards, and their application. We apply and test ethical AI frameworks, guidelines, and standards in our own work, providing feedback on the opportunities and limitations.
Data Ready

In 2024, we strengthened our data policy and strategy capacity by acquiring DataReady, a social enterprise founded in 2018 with a mission to help the sustainable development and humanitarian sectors navigate the complexities of data governance. The acquisition strengthened our capability to provide integrated and multi-disciplinary data policy and strategy advisory services, strengthening in particular our data protection, data sharing, and rights-based and ethical approaches to this work.

FEATURED PROGRAMS

UNICEF Strategic Planning of Data for Children

Since 2018, DG has supported the roll-out of UNICEF’s Data for Children Strategic Framework across eleven countries. Through a combination of desk research and key informant interviews, this work seeks to understand and address challenges and opportunities within national data and statistical systems to support the “smart” demand, supply, and use of data and achieve better results for children.
Results Data Initiative I, II, III
With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Development Gateway “diagnosed” the global results data ecosystem, seeking to identify the best ways to improve the quality and utility of development results data. Working with governments in Ghana, Malawi, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania, the initiative revealed that data systems were often designed for reporting rather than for use. RDI’s findings shaped DG’s approach to building data systems that are demand-driven, decision-focused, and grounded in the realities of those who rely on them.
National Models for Women’s Safety Online
The National Models for Women’s Safety Online (NMWSO) Program is a catalytic initiative that seeks to address threats to women’s engagement and leadership in digital spaces. Together with IREX, DG worked with the public and private sectors and civil society actors in Kenya and the Philippines to document, test, and advance system-level responses to prevent and mitigate online abuse targeting women leaders.